Ancient Zealot daggers

[fernando]

Hi Fearn
The Romans dominating the territory with their culture, Latin terms and goods became popular to the locals. Apparently the Zealot Sica, in name and form, was a Roman weapon, admissibly with a concealling dimension, or in its known full pattern used by Thracian gladiators, said to have some 35 cms blade, and 45-55 cms total length. Naturally the Zealots, familiar with the Roman weapons, found this being the ideal piece for their trick, whether or not resized to each one's taste.
The origin of the term had no conotation, Sicarii being a social way of life, so to say. Soon after, with the persistent atitude of these extremist Zealots against Rome, and their mixing with growing numbers of vulgar robbers, the Latin was endorsed with a pejorative conotation, with the addition of "HIRED" to the Sicarii interpretation, these guys becoming what we call now Gun Men. Eventually we still use the term Sicário in Portuguese, with about the same conotation.
This is recently said to be the key for the charade with Judas recent (double ) naming research.
Assuming he was a Samarian, also the local Jewish tribes tended to call him Sicarius in a pejorative sense, and in a Roman fashion, aside he was from a village with a similar name sounding. Quicker the Romans would name him for his gear, and not from his birth place.
fernando