Zealots

Zealots
קנאים‎
Zealots קנאים‎
Leader	Judas of Galilee; Menahem ben Judah; John of Giscala; Simon bar Giora; Eleazar ben Simon; Eleazar ben Yair;
Founded	6 CE
Dissolved	73 CE
Headquarters	Jerusalem; Gush Halav; Masada;
Ideology	Jewish nationalism; Jewish orthodoxy;
Religion	Second Temple Judaism

TheZealotswere apolitical movementin 1st-centurySecond Temple Judaismwhich sought to incite the people ofJudea Provinceto rebel against theRoman Empireand expel it from theHoly Landby force of arms, most notably during theFirst Jewish–Roman War(66–70).Zealotrywas the term used byJosephusfor a "fourth sect" or "fourth Jewish philosophy" during this period.

Etymology

The termzealot,the common translation of theHebrewkanai(קנאי‎, frequently used in plural form,קנאים‎,kana'im), means one who iszealouson behalf of God. The term derives fromGreekζηλωτής(zelotes), "emulator, zealous admirer or follower".^[1]^[2]

History

Josephus'Jewish Antiquities^[3]states that there were three main Jewish sects at this time, thePharisees,theSadducees,and theEssenes.The Zealots were a "fourth sect", founded byJudas of Galilee(also called Judas of Gamala) in the year 6 CE against theCensus of Quirinius,shortly after the Roman Empire declared what had most recently been thetetrarchy of Herod Archelausto be aRoman province.According to Josephus, they "agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord." (18.1.6)

According to theJewish Encyclopediaarticle onZealots:^[4]

Judah of Gaulanitis is regarded as the founder of the Zealots, who are identified as the proponents of the Fourth Philosophy. In the original sources, however, no such identification is anywhere clearly made, and the question is hardly raised of the relationship between the Sicarii, the upholders of the Fourth Philosophy, and the Zealots. Josephus himself in his general survey of the various groups of freedom fighters (War 7:268–70) enumerates the Sicarii first, whereas he mentions the Zealots last.

Others have also argued that the group was not so clearly marked out (before the first war of 66–70/3) as some have thought.^[5]

Simon the Zealotwas listed among the apostles selected byJesusin theGospel of Luke^[6]and in theActs of the Apostles.^[7]He is calledCananaeanin Mark and Matthew (Matthew 10,Matthew 10:4,Mark 3,Mark 3:18)

Two of Judas of Galilee's sons, Jacob and Simon, were involved in a revolt and were executed byTiberius Alexander,theprocuratorof Iudaea province from 46 to 48.^[8]

The Zealots took a leading role in theFirst Jewish–Roman War(66–73 CE), as they objected to Roman rule and violently sought to eradicate it by indiscriminately attacking Romans and Greeks. Another group, likely related, were theSicarii,who raided Jewish settlements and killed Jews they consideredapostatesand collaborators, while also urging Jews to fight the Romans and other Jews for the cause. Josephus paints a very bleak picture of their activities as they instituted what he characterized as a murderous "reign of terror" prior to the Jewish Temple's destruction. According to Josephus, the Zealots followedJohn of Gischala,who had fought the Romans inGalilee,escaped, came to Jerusalem, and then inspired the locals to a fanatical position that led to the Temple's destruction. They succeeded in taking overJerusalem,and held it until 70, when the son of Roman EmperorVespasian,Titus,retook the city and destroyedHerod's Templeduring thedestruction of Jerusalem.^{[citation needed]}

In the Talmud

In theTalmud,the Zealots are characterized as non-religious i.e. not following the contemporary religious leadership. They are also called theBiryonim(בריונים) meaning "boorish", "wild", or "ruffians", and are condemned for their aggression, their unwillingness to compromise to save the survivors of besiegedJerusalem,and their blindmilitarismin opposition to the rabbis' desire to seek a peace treaty with Rome. However, according to one body of tradition, the rabbis initially supported the revolt until the Zealots instigated a civil war, at which point all hope of resisting the Romans was deemed impossible.^[9]The Zealots are further blamed for having contributed to the demise of Jerusalem and theSecond Temple,and of ensuring Rome's retribution and stranglehold on Judea. According to theBabylonian Talmud,Gittin:56b, theBiryonimdestroyed decades' worth of food and firewood in besieged Jerusalem to force the Jews to fight the Romans out of desperation. This event precipitated the escape ofJohanan ben Zakai,and his meeting withVespasian,which led to the foundation of theAcademy of Jamniaand the composition of theMishnah,ensuring the survival ofrabbinical Judaism.^[10]^[11]

Sicarii

The Sicarii were a splinter group of the Jewish Zealots who, in the decades precedingJerusalem's destruction in 70 CE,strongly opposed theRomanoccupation ofJudeaand attempted to expel them and their sympathizers from the area.^[12]The Sicarii carriedsicae,or smalldaggers,concealed in their cloaks.^[13]At public gatherings, they pulled out these daggers to attack Romans and alleged Roman sympathizers alike, blending into the crowd after the deed to escape detection.

According to historianHayim Hillel Ben-Sasson,the Sicarii, originally based inGalilee,"were fighting for a social revolution, while the Jerusalem Zealots placed less stress on the social aspect" and the Sicarii "never attached themselves to one particular family and never proclaimed any of their leaders king". Both groups objected to the way the priestly families were running the Temple.^[8]

Paul the Apostle

While mostEnglish translations of the Biblerender the Greek wordzelotesinActs 22:3 andGalatians 1:14 of theNew Testamentas the adjective "zealous",an article by Mark R. Fairchild^[14]takes it to mean a Zealot and suggests thatPaul the Apostlemay have been a Zealot, which might have been the driving force behind his persecution of the Christians (see the stoning ofSaint Stephen) before hisconversion to Christianity,and theincident at Antioch,even after his conversion.^{[citation needed]}In the two cited verses Paul literally declares himself as one who isloyalto God, or anardentobserver of the Law according to the Douay-Rheims of Acts 22:3, but the relationship ofPaul the Apostle and Jewish Christianityis still debated. This does not necessarily prove Paul was revealing himself as a Zealot. TheModern King James VersionofJay P. Green) renders it as 'a zealous one'. Two modern translations (theJewish New TestamentandAlternate Literal Translation) render it as 'a zealot'. TheUnvarnished New Testament(1991) renders Galatians 1:14 as "being an absolute zealot for the traditions". These translations may not be inaccurate, but it is disputed by those who claim it gives the wrong association with the "Zealots".

Notes

^Zealot,Online Etymology Dictionary
^Zelotes,Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus
^"Josephus, Antiquities Book XVIII".earlyjewishwritings.com.
^Jewish Encyclopedia,2nd ed., vol. 21, p. 472
^Richard Horsley's "Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs" andTom Wright's "The New Testament and the People of God"
^Luke 6:15
^Acts 1:13
^^a ^bH.H. Ben-Sasson,A History of the Jewish People,Harvard University Press, 1976,ISBN 0-674-39731-2,p. 275
^Neusner, Jacob (1962). "6".A Life of Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai: Ca. I–80 C.E.E.J. Brill.ISBN 978-9004021389.
^Solomon Schechter, Wilhelm Bacher."Johanan B. Zakkai".Jewish Encyclopedia.
^BavliGittin56b
^Goodman, Martin(2008).Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations.New York City:Vintage Books.p. 407.ISBN 978-0375726132.
^Paul ChristianWho were the Sicarii?,Meridian Magazine,June 7, 2004
^Fairchild, M. R.,"Paul's Pre-Christian Zealot Associations: A Re-examination of Gal. 1:14 and Acts 22:3".New Testament Studies45(4), pp. 514–532

External links

Smith, Sydney F. (1913)."Zeal".Catholic Encyclopedia.
"Zealot".New International Encyclopedia.1905.

[1] Zealot,Online Etymology Dictionary

[2] Zelotes,Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus

[3] "Josephus, Antiquities Book XVIII".earlyjewishwritings.com.

[4] Jewish Encyclopedia,2nd ed., vol. 21, p. 472

[5] Richard Horsley's "Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs" andTom Wright's "The New Testament and the People of God"

[6] Luke 6:15

[7] Acts 1:13

[Ben-Sasson-8] H.H. Ben-Sasson,A History of the Jewish People,Harvard University Press, 1976,ISBN 0-674-39731-2,p. 275

[9] Neusner, Jacob (1962). "6".A Life of Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai: Ca. I–80 C.E.E.J. Brill.ISBN 978-9004021389.

[10] Solomon Schechter, Wilhelm Bacher."Johanan B. Zakkai".Jewish Encyclopedia.

[11] BavliGittin56b

[12] Goodman, Martin(2008).Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations.New York City:Vintage Books.p. 407.ISBN 978-0375726132.

[13] Paul ChristianWho were the Sicarii?,Meridian Magazine,June 7, 2004

[14] Fairchild, M. R.,"Paul's Pre-Christian Zealot Associations: A Re-examination of Gal. 1:14 and Acts 22:3".New Testament Studies45(4), pp. 514–532

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