On September 28, 1907, a group met in Ben-Zvi's Jaffa room: Israel Shochat, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Alexander Zeid, Mendel Portugali, Israel Giladi, Yehezkel Hankin, Yehezkel Nissanov and Moshe Givoni. They swore themselves to absolute secrecy - on pain of death ("death by snake bite" i.e. sudden execution) - and absolute allegiance to their leader, Israel Shochat. The name was chosen after Simon Bar Giora, one of the leaders of the Jewish Revolt against the Romans. As a motto, they chose a line from Yaakov Cohen's poem, "Habiryonim": "In fire and blood did Judea fall; in blood and fire Judea shall rise."