Who were the Zealots?

The Zealots were an extremist party that initiated the Great Revolt against Rome and dragged the rest of the Jewish people into this struggle. Considering their considerable influence on Jewish history, they get scant and possibly a somewhat biased press, and there are big lacunae in our knowledge. Our main source of information is the historian Josephus who calls them a “band of robbers” who initiated a reign of terror. His defamation is understandable. Josephus worked for the Zealots when he fortified the cities of the Galilee and Golan when sent there by the Sanhedrin, but he eventually became a turncoat and changed sides. After a time, he would become Rome’s official historian for the revolt.

The Pharisees were horrified watching the Zealots lead the country to disaster, and they dissociated themselves from the revolt, even though they had initially supported it. They regarded the Zealots as heretics and murderers. They attempted to persuade them to sue for peace, but the Zealots refused. Since the Pharisees were responsible for the composition of the main Jewish sources, it is understandable that the Talmud has nothing complimentary to say about them. On the other hand, Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabba i.11, regards Judas the Galilean, the founder of the Zealots, as one of the scholarly Hasidim whom God will place at His side together with the other righteous because he did not receive the homage due to him as a martyr.

The Zealots were messianic Jews who could not abide the rule of Rome and who regarded God alone as their ruler. They called themselves kanna’im (Zealots) on account of their religious zeal. By the time of Herod, they were organized as a political party and were supported by the disciples of the great sage Shammai. They attempted to assassinate Herod and to remove a golden eagle (the symbol of Rome) that he had placed over a gate in the Temple. In both instances they were caught and those involved were brutally tortured. Later, during the rule of the Roman procurators over Judea, and particularly that of the cruel and insensitive Gessius Florus, the Zealots became more aggressive in their tactics. Some engaged in murdering Jews whom they regarded as collaborators and apostates. Their use of a dagger hidden under their coat earned them the name Sicarii (meaning violent men or dagger-men).

The Zealots initiated their revolt against Rome in the Galilee. Many cities were supportive, although Gamla was not. Nevertheless, the Zealots took over the city against the wishes of its inhabitants. After the defeat of the Zealots in the Galilee and Golan, the focus of the rebellion turned to Jerusalem.

Their leader John of Gischala (John of Gush Halav) escaped from the Galilee to Jerusalem and continued the struggle from there. However, the Jews were unable to form a unified front and different sectors of the city were commanded by different leaders who did not coordinate with each other. Until just before the end, they were even fighting each other. The Roman commander Titus was aware of this and deliberately gave the Jews time to continue their killing.

The Temple and city were destroyed by Titus in 70 CE. The leaders of the revolt were taken to Rome and executed. The last 973 of the Zealots held out in Masada under the leadership of Eleazar ben Yair, but most committed suicide when defeat became inevitable.