The Sadducees were a prominent Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, which lasted from approximately 516 BCE until the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. The Sadducees were one of the three major sects in Jewish society during this time, alongside the Pharisees and the Essenes. The Sadducees were primarily made up of the Jewish aristocracy, including high priests and wealthy landowners, and they held significant political and religious power within Jewish society.
The Sadducees were known for their strict adherence to the written Torah and their rejection of the oral tradition that had developed alongside it. They believed that only the written law was divinely inspired and binding, while the oral tradition was merely the product of human interpretation. This belief put them at odds with the Pharisees, who held that both the written law and the oral tradition were equally important and divinely inspired.
In addition to their rejection of the oral tradition, the Sadducees also differed from the Pharisees in their beliefs about the afterlife. While the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and the existence of angels and spirits, the Sadducees rejected these ideas and held that death was the final end for humans.
The Sadducees also had a different view of the role of the Temple and the priesthood. They believed that the Temple and its rituals were essential for maintaining the proper relationship between God and the Jewish people, and they held that only descendants of the priestly line could perform the Temple rituals. This belief gave them significant power within the Temple hierarchy and made them natural allies of the ruling elite.
Despite their differences with the Pharisees, the Sadducees were not a completely monolithic group, and there were likely variations in their beliefs and practices. In particular, some scholars believe that there may have been Sadducees who were more open to the oral tradition and who held more liberal views on matters of Jewish law.
The Sadducees played an important role in the politics of the Second Temple period. They were closely associated with the ruling elite, including the high priests and the wealthy landowners, and they often held positions of power within the Temple and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council that had both religious and political authority. The Sadducees were also more accommodating of Roman rule than the Pharisees, and they cooperated with the Roman authorities in order to maintain their power and influence.
Despite their power and influence, the Sadducees gradually declined in importance during the Second Temple period. This decline was due in part to their rejection of the oral tradition, which put them at odds with the majority of the Jewish population, who were followers of the Pharisees. The Sadducees also suffered significant losses during the Jewish-Roman wars, which led to the destruction of the Second Temple and the dispersal of the Jewish people.
Today, the Sadducees are primarily remembered as a historical curiosity, a sect that was once prominent but has long since faded into obscurity. However, their legacy lives on in the writings of the New Testament, which often portrays the Sadducees as opponents of Jesus and his teachings. Despite their decline, the Sadducees remain an important part of Jewish history, a reminder of the complex and diverse society that existed during the Second Temple period.