were crucified as the punishment for taking part
in this revolt. Those who sympathized with Judas continued to plot in
secret against the hated Roman oppressors. They were called Zealots.
One of them became a member of Jesus' band of twelve apostles.

SMOLDERING HATE AMONG THE PEOPLE

Whether they were actual plotters against Rome, like the Zealots, or
whether they gave their strength to eager prayer to Jehovah for
deliverance, the great mass of the common people among the Jews in the
time of Christ were burning with a fierce patriotism and with a hatred
against their oppressors such as we can scarcely imagine. The century
of freedom under the Maccabees had made them all the more impatient of
tyranny--and then to find themselves under such unspeakable tyrants as
Herod and Pilate!--this was almost unendurable.

The children drank in this spirit with their mothers' milk. Fathers
and mothers had constantly to warn their boys and girls not to show
their feelings toward Roman officers and soldiers lest some dreadful
punishment should befall them. So it went on from year to year,
growing constantly worse instead of better. The whole land was like a
heap of smoldering leaves. Sooner or later there would be a sudden
flare of open flame.

STUDY TOPICS

1. Look up in the Bible dictionary "Publicans," "Zealots," and
"Sadducees."

2. How do you explain the success of the Romans in tyrannizing the
proud Jews for so many years? Consider the part played by the
Sadducees.

3. Read Matthew 3. 1-2. Why did John's message arouse such interest
and enthusiasm?

CHAPTER XXXI

JEWISH HOPES MADE GREATER BY JESUS

This history of the common people of Israel began with certain vague
hopes of a happier and nobler way of living for the descendants of
Abraham. As the centuries passed these hopes were only very partially
realized. But what was more important the Jews came more and more
clearly to understand the meaning of their own hopes. Their great
teachers helped them to know what they really wanted or ought to want
if they would be happy. Moses taught them the first lessons of justice
as the foundation of happiness. The great prophets helped them to see
that neither happiness nor justice was possible except as they knew
and worshiped the true God--not a God of greed and anger to be bribed
with sacrifices, but the God of justice and love. A few of the
prophets also began to see that such hopes as theirs could not be for