The Zealots were a group of Jews that formed under the rule of Herod the Great, a Judaic king. The Zealots are famous for their strong convictions and their resistance against Roman rule.

In A.D. 6, when Jerusalem was completely under Roman rule, authorities dictated that a census be taken to calculate the taxation of the Jewish people. As a result, the Zealots called for a rebellion.

One extremist group of Zealots, called Sicarri (dagger men) used terrorist tactics, killing and assassinating Romans and Jews who favored the Roman authority. That rebellion was quickly put down. A lot of them were killed. Still, the Zealots continued to fight for freedom from the Romans.