Schiffman (Bible Review 6, No.5, Oct 1990, The Significance of the Scrolls, p.25) states that the influence of the apocalyptic Dead Sea Scrolls is discernible “in the messianic pressures for Jewish resistance against Roman rule that were factors in fueling the two Jewish revolts, the First Revolt of 66-70 CE and the Second Revolt, the so-called Bar Kokhba Revolt, of 132-135 CE, both of which had messianic overtones.”
Golb states in his 1980 article in the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, p.11 (which Schiffman refrained from referencing) : “What is until now understood of their contents that the mentality and religious outlook of the Jewish groups were factors which may in turn help to explain the zeal which led to the Jewish war.”
The mentality of many of the writers of the scrolls says much of what one needs to know to explain the reasons behind the first rebellion. The culprits that prevent a proper understanding are the Flavian editors of the writings attributed to Josephus which (in contrast to the scrolls) have undoubtedly been got at. I believe the Roman intervention was to put down the priests who were murdering a party (mentioned in some scrolls as the "seekers of smooth things") who opposed them.
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