Who were the Zealots in the Bible? Discover in this video the true story of the Zealots, their origin, and what their ultimate fate was.
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I'm not sure if you're aware, but during Jesus' time, there was a radical Jewish group known for its fanatical patriotism, often responsible for causing a series of disturbances. Perhaps one of Jesus' disciples was even a part of this group. We are talking about the Zealots. The Zealots were a nationalist Jewish faction fighting against Roman rule over Israel.
This nationalist group was probably nicknamed "Zealots" because they may have been inspired by the example of Phinehas, who lived in the time of Moses, demonstrating great zeal for the Lord's cause during a period of apostasy among some Israelites in the desert, as recorded in Numbers 25:11. Another possibility is that the Zealots were inspired by the conduct of Mattathias and his sons when Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to destroy the Jewish religion.
Likely, the Zealot party originated from the revolutionary ideas of Judas the Galilean. Judas organized and led a revolt in 6 AD against the annexation of Judah as a province directly under Roman rule.
The problem was that, in theory, the ideals and purposes of the Zealots often seemed good, right, and understandable, but what happened in practice was quite different. They were frequently violent, and were even at the center of a conflict that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem. The Zealots played a very active role in the Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD, which culminated in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. By 73 AD, the last stronghold of the Zealots, Masada, also fell to the Romans.