1. THE LAW, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF BIBLICAL PEOPLE GROUPS
JoLynn Gower
Fall 2018
Lesson 8

2. VERSE FOR THE JOURNEY
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
The Sadducees rose up sometime in the time between the Testaments, although when is disputed
There are no extant writings by the Sadducees
Their name derivation is uncertain – seduqim– may have derived from the Hassidim concept of righteousness and dedication
The name may also spring from tsadoq and have come from the name of their founder or the name of the high priest under David named Zadok
1 Kings 1:34  "Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'

3. INTRODUCING SADDUCEES
They are known to have held very strongly to the Torah and they rejected the oral tradition valued by the Pharisees; there is insufficient evidence to say that they rejected the remainder of the Old Testament
What oral traditions do we value?
The Passover Hagadah
The betrothal and wedding
The Megilla Ta’anit (rabinnical) says that they had a Book of Decrees described as the interpretive penal code, and as very strict and literal; this source says it was revoked on the 4th of Tammuz (no year!)
Consequently, the Sadducees wanted only priests in judgment cases whereas the Pharisees wanted greater participation by people of the same social class To

4. THE SPLIT
The date of the doctrinal split between the Pharisees and Sadducees dates roughly to 140 B.C.
It may have developed around a disagreement between two disciples of Antigonus and revolved around whether the soul died with the body
Josephus says that Sadducees denied the existence of angels and any spiritual being except God
Josephus tells us that after the Babylonian captivity the high priests were viewed as the Kings to the Persians and were still powerful during the Greek reign
Alexander Janneus, (Jonathan) a Maccabee, regarded as king of Judea, sided with the Sadducees and crucified a significant number of Pharisees between 103 BC and 76 BC (he is the father of the feuding Aristobulus and Hyrcanus who invited Rome who arrested Pharisees)

5. EXAMPLE
Acts 23:6-9 But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

6. POSITIONS
Essenes: Everything predetermined by God; nothing falls within “free will”
Sadducees: Everything is “free will.” All human actions are within our own power
Pharisees: Some actions are within our power; while not caused by God they are answerable to Him
The Essenes largely withdrew from social interaction
The Sadducees associated with the rich and elite
The Pharisees were made up of the more common people, although there were a number of wealthy, notable Pharisees (Joseph of Arimethea, Paul)
Josephus says Sadducees were boorish and rude
Matthew 26:67-68 …they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?"

7. EXAMPLE
Matthew 22:23-28  On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, "Teacher, Moses said, 'IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.’ Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her."
The Sadducees didn’t enforce levirate marriage unless the marriage had not been consumated
If they didn’t believe in a resurrection, why care?

8. JESUS’ RESPONSE
Matthew 22: Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.  When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. One of them, a lawyer, asked a question, testing Him, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.”

9. THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
The Sadducees are not mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which is rather strange
But the Scrolls use a lot of substitute terminology:
for example Babylon is used for Rome
There is a group in the Scrolls called “Manasse” that some believe refers to the Sadducees
This group, according to the Scrolls, will be terminated along with their women and children
The name may be referring to Manasseh, a king of Judah who led people into rejection of appropriate worship
The Essenes viewed the Sadducee priests with such contempt that this view is possible

10. PRIESTHOOD
Josephus says that many, but not all, priests were Sadducees
Ananus was a Sadducee and had five sons who were also High Priest according to Josephus
This is likely the Annas we see in scripture:
Luke 3:2 …in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
Although Ananus was removed as High Priest in 15 AD he was still recognized by the people as the rightful High Priest as long as he lived
He is credited with starting a daily sacrifice for Caesar (who claimed deity) angering many people
Some think that stopping that sacrifice contributed to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD

11. Ananus ben Seth 6-15
Ishmael ben Fabus 15-16
Eleazar ben Ananus 16-17
Simon ben Camithus 17-18
Joseph Caiaphas * Son-in-law Ananas or Annas,
Jonathan ben Ananus 36-37
Theophilus ben Ananus 37-41
Simon Cantatheras ben Boethus 41-43*
Matthias ben Ananus 43
Elioneus ben Simon Cantatheras 43-44*
Jonathan ben Ananus 44
Josephus ben Camydus 44-46
Ananias ben Nebedeus 46-52
Jonathan 52-56
Ishmael ben Fabus Joshua ben Damnius 63
Joseph Cabi ben Simon 62-63
Ananus ben Ananus 63
Joshua ben Gamaliel 63-64
Mattathias benTheophilus Phannias 67-70

12. IN THE TEMPLE
The Temple Tax was established as atonement money in Exodus 30; the tax was used to maintain the Temple; a healthy portion supported the priests
After the Babylonian and return of Nehemiah, the tax was brought from Jews in Babylon by guarded convoy
Many of the rich elites contributed generously to the Temple to curry favor with the Priests
The Priests were known make the temple compound into a market of sorts on required holidays; they also made a lucrative profit currency exchange
During the time of Jesus, the Temple had become a very political place and its priests were largely in league with Rome