Simon the Zealot was one of Jesus’ disciples. Generally speaking, a zealot is anyone who fervently supports a particular cause.

In the context of the New Testament, the Zealots were a party zealous for Jewish independence and throwing off Roman rule. They hoped to accomplish this by inciting the people to rebellion, driving the Romans from Israel, and establishing a Mosaic theocracy. They were also known to target Jews who were sympathetic to Rome. Both Josephus and the Talmud took a negative view of the Zealots’ fanaticism.