The Greek term ze·lo·tesʹ refers to one who is zealous or enthusiastic. “Zealot” came to denote a member of a militant Jewish sect that was prominent in the first century C.E. and that fought against the Roman occupation of the Jewish homeland.

Roman rule over Judea created deep religious and political tensions. Josephus, the main source of information on that turbulent period, described various Jewish liberation groups that sprang up. One group was the Zealots. As their name suggests, the Zealots were zealous for Jewish freedom and, spurred on by messianic fervor, were willing to use violence. They even despised fellow Jews who sought peace with the Roman authorities. The uprisings in which the Zealots shared did not lead to liberation; rather, their actions sowed the seeds for national disaster—the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 C.E. Some Zealots may have fled to the mountain fortress of Masada, which was occupied by those who were called Sicarii (Dagger Men). In 73 C.E., after a two-year siege, the Jews at Masada committed mass suicide rather than surrender.