Sicarii

Background

The name "Sicarii" (Latin sicarii, singular sicarius) comes from a Latin word for a person who wields a curved dagger called a sica, that is, an "assassin" or "cutthroat." In Roman usage it was an ordinary word for a murderer. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus used the term as the name of a particular group active in Judea in the later years of Roman rule. Most of what is known about this group comes from Josephus's The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews.

Josephus traces the group's ideological roots to Judas of Galilee, who led an uprising around AD 6 in opposition to a Roman census (Acts 5:37). Judas refused to pay taxes to Rome, insisting that God alone should be served as master. Josephus called this movement the "fourth philosophy," distinguishing it from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.

History

• The 50s: The group first appeared during the governorship of the Roman procurator Felix. According to Josephus, they would stab their targets with daggers concealed in their clothing amid the crowds gathered for festivals and then disappear into the throng. Josephus names the former high priest Jonathan as their first victim. Their principal targets were members of the Jewish ruling class whom they regarded as collaborators with Rome.
• Early 60s: They are also reported to have kidnapped prominent figures and demanded the release of captured comrades in exchange for the hostages.
• 66: When the Jewish War broke out, Menahem, reputed to be a descendant of Judas of Galilee, seized the armory of the fortress of Masada. He entered Jerusalem and presented himself as a leader of the revolt, and around this time the high priest Ananias was killed by his followers. Menahem, however, clashed with other rebel factions and was killed. His remaining followers withdrew to Masada under his relative Eleazar ben Yair.
• During the war: The group remained at Masada. Josephus records that during Passover they raided En-gedi and killed some seven hundred people.
• 73 or 74: The Roman army besieged Masada. Josephus records that just before the fortress fell, 960 people took their own lives.

Aftermath and Influence

After the fall of Masada, some members fled to Alexandria in Egypt and to Cyrene, where they incited anti-Roman uprisings. According to Josephus, the leaders of the Jewish communities there handed them over to the Roman authorities, and even under torture they refused to call the Roman emperor "lord."

The name also appears in the New Testament. In Acts 21:38 a Roman chief captain mistakes Paul for "that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers." Here "murderers" translates the Greek sikarioi. Some have argued that the epithet "Iscariot" in the name of Judas Iscariot derives from Sicarii. This, however, is a minority view; the name is generally interpreted as meaning "man of Kerioth."

Assessment

Scholars are divided over the group's relationship to the Zealots. In the past, many regarded the Sicarii as a radical faction within the Zealots. A considerable number of scholars, however, regard them as distinct groups, noting that Josephus referred to the two by different names.

Josephus himself took part in the revolt before going over to the Roman side. He therefore tends to portray the rebel factions as "bandits," and critics note that his account may contain exaggerations. His account of the mass suicide at Masada has also been debated in light of archaeological evidence since the excavations of the 1960s.

In modern Israel, Masada has become a symbol of resistance. At the same time, the Sicarii are also viewed as an extremist faction that did not hesitate to kill their own people. In the church, the Sicarii are studied as background for understanding the political tensions in Jewish society in the time of Jesus and the early church. Further historical background can be found in the article on the intertestamental period.