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rather than call anyone ‘lord’ other than God. And so it was under the leadership of Judas and his family that the Zealots became an aggressive and relentless political party.
    There were groups of rebel Zealots and Sicarii everywhere, killing Romans and any Jews who co-operated with them. The priesthood became more dependent upon the Romans for their support and safety, and in so doing became more and more corrupt. The Zealots’s popularity grew day by day, driving the common people towards their radical approach. It was quite apparent that the Roman administration was in a state of disorder, while the Zealots and Sicarii flourished. The people knew that the time was right for a revolt to free them from the political oppression they had suffered for too long.
     
    B LOODY  R EVOLT
     
    While Emperor Nero was throwing Christians and Jews alike to the lions, violence was flaring up in Judae. There was a conflict in Caesarea between Jews and Gentiles over activities that had been taking place in the synagogue. There was a public outcry when a Gentile offered a pagan sacrifice next to the entrance of the synagogue, causing the authorities in Jerusalem to ban the act of sacrifices. Florus, the governor from Caesarea, entered Jerusalem with troops and took a large amount of gold from the temple treasury. When people gathered to try and stop them, Florus simply unleashed his troops on the innocent civilians causing the death of more than 3,500 people. Hundreds of women and children were raped, whipped and even crucified. The reaction was so strong, that mobs swarmed the streets and forced the legionnaires out of their city.
    Meanwhile, taking the Roman garrison by surprise, the Zealots occupied the Masada fortress. From here they managed to distribute large amounts of weapons, and due to the frenzy raised by the revolt even the nonpolitical Pharisees joined the Zealot movement by their hundreds.
    Violence even mounted within the Zealot group itself when Eleazar, a Zealot leader, who had ordered the slaughter of all Roman prisoners remaining in the city, assassinated the Zealot leader Menahem. At this point the revolt reached its climax.
    Hearing of the violence against fellow Romans in Jerusalem, the Gentiles in Caesarea fought against the Jews, and within a single day 20,000 Jews were slaughtered, regardless of age or sex. This slaughter was repeated in other parts of the empire, until an estimated 50,000 were killed in Alexandria alone. Literally the land was running with blood.
    Nero acted quickly, ordering his leading general, Vespasian, to end the Jewish problem once and for all. Vespasian’s army numbered more than 50,000 men and together they took several towns by force, destroying Gamla completely, where the Zealot movement was originally formed. Men were either crucified or executed, while the women and children were sold into slavery. Once again Galilee was in the hands of the Romans. Vespasian went on to conquer the coast and the lands east of Judea, and then took Jericho and Emmaus, which guarded the eastern and western approaches to Jerusalem, leaving the city isolated without any strongholds.
    Vespasian became emperor in AD 68 due to the suicide of Nero. He handed over his duties as general to his son Titus, who was then left to finish the campaign against Jerusalem.
    In the city of Jerusalem the situation was chaotic. Zealots had converged on the city, taking control of Temple Mount and appointing their own priest. When the Sadducee priests tried to resist, the Zealots responded by killing them along with 8,500 of their supporters. Jerusalem was in a complete state of confusion and terror under the reign of the Zealots. Titus and his army did not arrive in Jerusalem until the spring of AD 70. However, even the presence of his army in the city didn’t stop the killing between the rival Jewish factions. They killed for food, they killed for money and they killed if anyone even contemplated surrender. Many of