The great world power in the New Testament era was Rome, and most of the people Rome conquered resented their status. In Israel, a Jewish patriotic party came into being, the Zealots.
They weren’t above resorting to violence, even assassination, and their actions eventually led to all-out war with Rome. Rome won, naturally, and one result of the war was the destruction, in A.D. 70, of the temple in Jerusalem.
One of Jesus’ twelve disciples was Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15). The twelve were a mixed bag, since another disciple was the tax collector Matthew, a man whose job required collaboration with the Romans.
