http://sheekh-3arb.org/library/books/christian/en/K7ZzIubk

4 Adding Insult to Injury: Roman Misrule and Escalating Disturbances in Judaea Taming the Pesky New Colony The legate of Syria, Publius Sulspicius Quirinius, was ordered to take charge of the annexed territory. One of his first tasks was to conduct a census of Judaea in order to impose a head tax. This seems to be the census alluded to in Luke ii, 1–3, that sent Joseph and Mary to their birthplace to be counted and assessed.

The census aroused a well of popular resentment, as it was wrongly believed to be the harbinger of additional taxes, rather than the more efficient collection of existing taxes. The census initially proceeded with little opposition thanks to the efforts of the High Priest Joazar ben Boethus. However, the nobles seemed to be foremost in calling for cooperation. The merchant class and the plebeians fumed and were encouraged by a new party that was born from this episode: the Zealots. At least this is how Josephus identifies this new movement. The term is confusing because Josephus later uses it to specify only those rebels serving under the chieftains Simon bar Gioras, John of Gischala and Eleazar ben Simon — whose roots seem only to go back to the beginnings of the revolt (A.D. 66).

The fundamentally uncompromising Zealot movement has more properly been identified with the sicarii. Judas of Galilee (from Gamara) and a Pharisee named Sadduc, or Zaddok (also called “Saddek”), founded the party, which Herod expert A.H.M. Jones characterizes as rejecting the opportunist fatalism (i.e., realpolitik ) of the conservative wing of the Pharisees. The new party, whom Jones equates with a Pharisee “left wing,” asserted that God would help only those whom helped themselves and it was the duty of every 47