The Galileans
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Luke 13:1) — a Jewish sect, which took its name from its leader, Judas the Galilean. It is thought that this sect was formed to oppose the law concerning taxes imposed on the Jews by the Roman government in the year 10 or 12 A.D. Judas and his followers stirred up the people against the Roman government (Acts 5:37) right up to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Jewish historians testify that the Galileans shared views and acted in concert with the Pharisees, differing from them, however, in an unyielding love of freedom, maintaining that, on the basis of the words of the book of Deuteronomy (17:15), their only master was the Lord God, and that all the demands of earthly kings were oppressive and unlawful.