Zealots

Adonai’s warriors

Shema – Hebrew

Shema Israel, Adonai elohenu – Adonai echad

Ve’ahavta et Adonai eloeikahB’khol levavkahUve’khol naphshekahUve’khol m’odekahVe’ahavta le’reacha Kamocha, Amen

Shema

Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord alone. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

And Love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.

Name Zealot

• Comes from the Hebrew for “passion”– Pronounced Ka ‘nah– [Elijah] replied, “I have been very zealous for the

LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” – I Kings 19:10

Zealous

• We would say Cana• First miracle at a wedding here• Jesus was close to these people maybe even

related– Authority position of his mother at the wedding

• What kind of people would name their town “passion”?– This was 1st century Al-Qaeda

• Think of Jesus’ disciples – how many were influenced by this mindset

Zealots

• Fiercely religious – totally committed to Torah• Took 1 step further than Orthodox Jews– Kill all of God’s enemies– Phinehas was their hero – Numbers 25

• Then an Israelite man brought into his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach.

Zealots

• David and Joshua were models for them• Rabbi Shamei followed this view– Worship of God is paramount– Cleanse sin from you– Put down/kill anyone who gets in the way of

displaying our God

Gamla

• Canaanite city until time of Joshua• Abandoned until 150 BC• Hezekiah of Gamla led rebellion of 47 BC– Brutally crushed by Herod the Wicked

• Eleazar of Gamla led rebellion of 70 AD– Totally crushed by Romans

Very close to Galilee

Over 5,000 lived here

Steep – roof of 1 house was front yard of house above

Wall and houses

Jesus was at this synagogue

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues – Matthew 4:23Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues – Matthew 9:35

Roman Breach in wall

Roman Historian Josephus was Zealot General JosephusHe knew the weakness in the wallMade a deal with the Romans – turned TraitorHe gave us the most comprehensive history of the Jews

Panic

Masada

• In Judean wilderness by Dead Sea• David knew of this place, maybe hid here– Certainly wrote about it, Psalm 18,28,31,etc.

• Last refuge of the Zealots in 72 AD– Besieged by General Silva in 72– Almost 1000 people committed suicide to keep

the Romans from a victory

Strengths

• Orthodox Jews– Passionate about God– Knew the Text– Fervently followed Torah

• Essenes– Passionate about God’s word– Knew the Text, protected the Text

• Zealots– Passionate about God– Knew the Text– Willing to do anything to further God’s kingdom

Weaknesses

• Orthodox Jews– Law is life– Compassion is secondary

• Essenes– Hid away from culture– Didn’t impact community

• Zealots– Minimized love and compassion– Thought God’s kingdom was advanced through

might

Next Week

• Herodians• King Herod• Read Genesis 25:19-34, Malachi 1:1-5