Zealot

The word is used only four times in the NT, and always as an appellative of one of the two Simons among the original twelve apostles (Matt 10:4; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15, & Acts 1:13. The word, however, became an important label for the last of the four "philosophical schools" in Judea in Josephus's time, and to them Josephus attributes almost entirely the blame for the disaster of the First Jewish Revolt.

Simon the Zealot: The actual word used in the NT, and translated "zealot" is Hebrew qanna'im or the Aramaic qan'anayya, derived from the Hebrew verb qinne'. It occurs frequently in the OT to describe expressions of very strong emotions or passion, and its translations into English includes "jealousy," "zeal," and "envy." Yahweh is, particularly, called 'el qanna', "a jealous God" (Exo 20:5; 34:14; Deut 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Jos 24:19). The translators of the Septuagint used the Greek words zeloo and zelos for the Hebrew verb and noun. From these terms is zelotai, and the English word, derived. One of the most well-known figures in the OT who rightly qualifies as a "zealot" has to be Phinehas, Aaron's grandson. When Israel was still wandering in the wilderness, the men had engaged in a sacrilegious ogry with the women of Moab and inducing others to join in the worship of Baal of Peor.

And the Lord's anger burned against them. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel." So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor." Then an Israelite man brought to 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

When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (Num 25:3-9)

For his actions, Phinehas earned God's approval, "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honour among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honour of his God and made atonement for the Israelites" (vv.11-12).

It is most likely that Simon's "zealotry" is to be understood in this sence, that he was personally zealous for upholding the honour of the Lord more than most Jews would care to do. In this sense, Simon could, therefore, be compared to Paul before his conversion, when he was "was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous (Gk., zelotes) for the traditions of my fathers" (Gal 1:14).

Zealots during the First Jewish Revolt: Outside of the NT, the term "zealot," in a distinct "party" sense, appears explicitly for the first time in the works of the Jewish historian Josephus as a reference to a Jewish nationalistic sect which was violently opposed to Roman rule in Palestine, and—from Josephus's perspective—chiefly to be blamed for the disastrous consequences of the First Jewish Revolt. To them Josephus attributes the worst of the atrocities of the revolt. Josephus's view, however, is hightly prejudiced. Having himself gone over to the Roman side, he surely could not have done otherwise.