Judas of Galilee facts for kids

Judas of Galilee, also known as Judas of Gamala, was an important Jewish leader. He lived around 6 AD and led a strong resistance against the Roman government. The Romans were trying to count everyone in the Judaea Province for tax purposes. This count was called a census.

Judas encouraged Jewish people not to register for this census. His followers even targeted those who did register. He is known for starting a group called the "fourth philosophy," which later became known as the Zealots. A famous historian named Josephus believed this group was responsible for the big war with the Romans from 66 to 73 AD, known as the First Jewish–Roman War. Josephus wrote about Judas in his books, The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews. Judas is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible.

The Zealots: A New Way of Thinking

In his book Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus says that Judas, along with a Pharisee named Zadok, started the Zealots. This group was called the "fourth sect" of Judaism in the 1st century. The other main groups were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes.

The Zealots had a very strong belief: they thought that God alone should be the ruler of Israel. Because of this, they strongly believed that no taxes should be paid to Rome. Josephus thought that these strong beliefs led to the major war between the Jewish people and the Romans.

Judas's Family and Their Fight

The historian Josephus does not tell us exactly how Judas died. However, he does mention that Judas's sons, James and Simon, were executed around 46 AD. This was ordered by a Roman governor called a procurator, named Tiberius Julius Alexander.

Josephus also claimed that Menahem ben Judah was Judas's son. Menahem was one of the early leaders of the Jewish Revolt in 66 AD. Some experts are not sure if Menahem was Judas's son, but he might have been his grandson. Menahem's cousin, Eleazar ben Ya'ir, also played a big part in the revolt. He escaped to the fortress of Masada and became a leader of the last Jewish defenders against the Roman Empire.

Judas in the Bible

Judas of Galilee is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, a book in the Bible. In this book, a wise leader named Gamaliel, who was part of the Jewish high court called the Sanhedrin, gives a speech. He talks about Judas and another leader named Theudas as examples of movements that failed. Gamaliel suggested that the movement started by Jesus of Nazareth might also fail, unless Jesus truly was the Messiah.

See also

In Spanish: Judas el Galileo para niños

• Galilean
• Gamala
• List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources