In the New Testament, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ was named Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were members of a first-century political movement among Judean Jews who sought to overthrow the occupying Roman government. The word zealot derives from the Greek zelotes, meaning “emulator or (zealous) follower” . According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Zealots were founded by Judas of Galilee and Zadok the Pharisee. Josephus notes that the Zealots “agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord". The Zealots led a rebellion when Rome introduced imperial cult worship, and the Great Jewish Revolt began in A.D. 66. The Zealots successfully overtook Jerusalem, but their revolt was ultimately unsuccessful. In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple. A remnant of the Zealots then took refuge in Masada. Because of their often-violent tactics, the Zealots have been called some of the world’s first terrorists. However, not all Zealots were violent, and the reputation of Zealots as forceful, aggressive agitators carries a partial truth.