Page 36 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

34 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

Romana, introduced by Rome to create an atmosphere of peace
throughout the Roman Empire, suited them too.
In reality, the Pharisees were a deeply religious group of Jews
who fought irreligion. They tried to preserve and propagate reli-
gion in the Jewish community under the term "verbal tradition."
They worked to introduce the Mosaic law and even fought in this
cause. Some historians suggest that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) must
have been together with these religious people, as his teachings are
closest to the Pharisees' views. Although he warned and reminded
the Pharisees several times, he also befriended and ate with them
(Luke 7:36, 11:37, 14:1).

The Zealots

The most active group after the Sadducees and the Pharisees
were the Zealots, most of whom had originally been Phariseees.
Their resentment of the Roman occupation drove them to radical-
ism and, eventually, to form this new movement. The Zealots, who
believed that an armed uprising against the Roman occupation
was necessary, established a resistance movement and, using
guerilla tactics, assassinated Romans as well as Jewish collabora-
tors. They even organized large-scale uprisings. One of their
branches became known as the Sicarii (Dagger-men) at the time of
the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) because of their dagger attacks.
This group, which emerged at the time of Herod the Great,
advocated a different political view. Under the leadership of Judas
the Galilean, a messianic figure, the Zealots started an uprising
when Judea was brought under direct Roman rule in 6 ce and a
new tax regime was introduced. According to them, acknowledg-
ing the pagan rule of the Roman emperor meant rejecting Allah's
authority in favor of slavery.