Zelotes
Zelo'tes (Ζηλωτής), an epithet of the apostle Simon (Lu 6:15; Ac 1:13) to distinguish him from Simon Peter. 'In the parallel lists of Mt 10:4; Mark 3, 18, he is called Simon the Cananite (Κανανίτης, A. V.
erroneously "Canaanite"), this being a transliteration of the Heb. or Aramaean קִנאָן, zeal, of which the Greek title is a translation. The word denotes a zealot in' general (1Co 14:12; Titus 2, 14; 1 Peter 3, 13), especially in behalf of Jewish law and institutions (Ac 21:20; Ac 22:3; Galatians 1, 14). Probably there were already extant in the time of Christ, when this epithet was given to Simon, the germs of the sect or party afterwards thus designated, the members of which professed great attachment to Judaism, and, under pretext of punishing by informal trial and execution those guilty of infringing the observances of the national religion, perpetrated great excesses (Josephus, War, 4:3, 9; 5, 1, 4; 6:3; 7:8, 1). SEE SIMON.
