Terrorist Group of the Week - The Sicarii

In a quest to learn more about terrorism and its roots, I've decided to start two new series:  Terrorist of the Week and Terrorist Group of the Week. The criteria is quite simple: I'll be showcasing different groups and individuals according to their interests to me and their significance to terrorist activities.

The first group I'm profiling is the Sicarrii, an ancient Jewish extremist group who used assassinations and kidnapping to expel Romans and other foreign entities from Judea. Many scholars point to them as the "fathers" of modern terrorism. This is not a stretch considering the methods and motives were practically unheard of prior to this. Most revolutions began once armies could be formed to engage occupiers on the battlefield. The Sicarrii did not have the time nor the resources for a conventional army so they used the unpredictability and lethality of their daggers to inflict psychological and strategic casualties on their enemy. These ideas are not foreign to any terrorist groups. Many use assassinations, kidnapping, and other means in order to achieve similar results.

Sicae - ancient dagger used by the Sicarri. Often hidden in their garments,
it was the preferred weapon due to its stealth and concealability.

What made the Sicarri unique was their use of stealth. They hid small daggers under their cloaks called sicae. As it was often difficult to their enemies alone, they often waited for them at mass gather points to strike them. Hidden in a crowd, they could operate without worry of detection before, during, and after the attack.

Who did they go after? Their targets of choice appeared to be Romans and their sympathizers. Some of their notable victims included Jonathan the High Priest, a suspected collaborator. Many were Roman soldiers and administrators. Like most terrorist groups, they struggled to gain popular support. And like most terrorist groups, they turned on the people they were liberting to get their support. At the beginning of the Jewish Revolt of 66 AD, the Sicarii, destroyed the city of Jerusalem's food supply so that the people would be forced to fight against the Roman siege instead of negotiating peace.

Mountaintop fortress and one of the most revered sites in Jewish  history .

Still haven't heard of them?  Ever hear of a place called Masada? That's right - these folks made the infamous stand at Masada along with their leader Simon Bar Giora. He and a group of followers made their way to the abandoned mountaintop fortress in 72 AD.  The standoff lasted until 73 AD when the Romans took over and discovered how deep the Sicarrii conviction was. They all committed suicide rather than surrender.