The Terrible Course of the Great Jewish Revolt
After years of political agitation and terrorism by radicals such as the Sicarii and Zealots, the Jewish Revolt erupted in 66 AD when the Roman governor responded to tax protests by arresting prominent Jews and looting Jerusalem’s Temple. Things then quickly escalated into a full blown revolt that forced the Romans and their pet king to flee Judea.
Early on, the Sicarii seized the fortress of Masada near the Dead Sea, then fell upon nearby Roman enclaves and massacred over 700 Roman women and children. That solidified their own ranks by ensuring that there would be no turning back, and confronted other Jews with the prospect of massive collective punishment of the innocent and guilty alike if the Romans won.
The Sicarii then joined the Zealots and other rebels in attacking Jerusalem, which they liberated in 66 AD. Like today’s ISIS, the Sicarii then engaged in widespread violence to compel conformity to their brand of Judaism. They began killing known and suspected collaborators en masse, as well as any opponents, suspected opponents, and those who failed to express the requisite enthusiasm for the Sicarii line.
Their extremism led to a backlash and uprising by Jerusalem’s population, and a falling out with the other rebels. It culminated in Sicarii defeat, the capture, torture, and execution of their leader, and the group’s expulsion from the city. The survivors retreated to the fortress of Masada, and contented themselves with plundering the surrounding countryside.
In the meantime, the Zealots and other radicals crushed the popular backlash and retained control of Jerusalem until it was besieged, conquered, and razed by the Romans in 70 AD. After mopping up operations, the Romans eventually reached the final holdouts, the Sicarii in Masada, whom they besieged. Realizing that all was lost and that their fate would be unenviable if the Romans got a hold of them, the Sicarii opted for mass suicide, killing their families and then themselves.