JEWISH SECTARIANISM: A CASE FOR PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES

By

Lawrence Mpeta

Advanced Biblical Backgrounds

Randy Whitman, Jr. M.Div., Ryan Reed, Ph.D., & Kris Bjorgen, Ed.D.

Date due: May 12, 2022

Date turned in: August 5, 2022.
 INTRODUCTION

Jewish sectarianism characterized and highly influenced the flow of the Jewish culture,
especially between the intertestamental period and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Pharisees,
Sadducees, Scribes, and Essence are just a few of the sects that existed in Jewish history.
However, Pharisees and Sadducees are depicted to have been the most influential sects in
Jewish history. This is because of the predominant and authoritative features with which they
were defined. Therefore, this paper discusses the Pharisees’ and the Sadducees’ origins,
attributes, beliefs, influence in the New Testament, and the contradistinctions between the two
sects.

Pharisees

Origin

“The Pharisees emerged as a distinct group shortly after the Maccabean revolt, about 165-160
BC.”1 It is widely believed and accepted that this sect was constituted by the spiritual
descendants of the Hasideans. “The term Pharisee comes from Parush meaning “separated” –
referring to one who is separated for a life of purity.”2 Pharisees were members of the Jewish
sect that was identified by its strict adherence and enforcement of the written Law of Moses
and the traditional Jewish law. They believed in the twofold law of God: the Torah and Oral
Law. According to the Pharisees, the Torah, the teachings of the prophets and the Jewish
traditions were all equally authoritative.

The members of this religious sect sanctified themselves to such an extent that they could not
associate with anything considered unlawful or unclean. “Pharisees called themselves the
Haberim, those who "associate", this term referring to one who associates himself with the law
to observe it strictly in opposition to the encroachments of the heathen world culture.”3 Thus,
Pharisees were devoted to the Law so much so that they became glued to it.

History has it that Pharisees advocated for the strict observance of the law when the chief priests
developed a negative attitude towards the law during the Greek and Maccabean periods. The

1
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia. "Pharisee." Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed August 20,
2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pharisee.
2
New World Encyclopedia contributors, "Pharisees," New World Encyclopedia, accessed May 09,
2022, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title%20=Pharisees&oldid=1019098
3
Grace Notes, "Jewish Religious System," Grace Notes, Accessed May 09, 2022,
https://www2.gracenotes.info/topics/jewish-religious-system.html
Greek influences were so detrimental that they almost detached the Jews from the necessities
and critical components of their culture. In response, this sect rose against such enticements
with the view of protecting and enforcing the law so that the Jews could not be robbed of their
identity and culture. Even in the time of John Hyrcanus, “Pharisees were in hostile opposition
to the Maccabees because the Maccabees' chief objective was no longer the carrying out of the
law but maintaining and extending political and economic power.”4

Pharisees had local synagogues from where they excised their authority in collaboration with
the scribes (teachers) as they were full-fledged scholars and preachers who spent most of their
time studying scriptures and the Jewish tradition. Because of their uncompromised dedication
to the Law, they left matters of the national government and the administration of the temple
to be handled by the Sadducees who mainly were priests. By doing such, they became effective
and influential in their society.

Attributes and Beliefs

Like it has already been alluded to, Pharisees believed in the significance of the oral tradition,
in addition to the Torah. They claimed that besides the Torah, Moses received the oral law
from the LORD while at Mount Sinai. As such, Pharisees considered themselves the custodians
who would preserve and guard this oral law so that it would be passed on to the next generations
through their predecessors. They had an "absolute" interpretation of the Jewish oral law.
"Wherever the written scripture failed to give clear instructions, the Pharisees appealed to the
oral law which they alone controlled for answers.”5 Thus, both the oral law and the Torah were
sacred and authoritative in Judah.

Pharisees held that man lives in a combination of predestination and free will. With this, they
implied that while some of man's actions result from predestination, man has a free will with
which he chooses to do or not to do some things. Josephus wrote, "They say that some actions,
but not all, are the work of fate, and some of them are in our power and that they are liable to
fate, but not caused by fate."6 This shows that Pharisees were as careful and deliberate as
possible whenever there was a choice to make.

4
Ibid
5
Bruce Satterfield, “The Inter-Testament Period,” Brigham Young University accessed May 08, 2022,
https://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Papers/IntertestamentalPeriod.htm
6
Flavius Josephus, “The Antiquities of the Jews," accessed May 09, 2022,
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/00370103,_Flavius_Josephus,_The_Antiquities_Of_The_Jews,_E
N.pdf
Pharisees also believed in the immortality of the soul. They held that the soul does not perish
at the death of the human body but lives forever. Josephus wrote, "They hold the belief that an
immortal strength belongs to souls and that there are beneath the earth punishments and
rewards for those who in a life devoted themselves to virtue or vileness, and that eternal
imprisonment is appointed for the latter, but the possibility of returning to life for the former.”7
This made them caution the Jewish community to be conscious of their actions as they would
either bring them reward or retribution upon their death.

They also believed in the resurrection of the dead. Pharisees are consistently taught that all the
dead will rise and face judgment before the sight of the Holy God. They had a strong assurance
that even though one would die, it does not end there because of the future resurrection that
awaits him. They held that through resurrection, the body and spirit (soul) will reunite. To
them, earthly existence was not all there was. There was an afterlife existence to which they
looked forward.

Pharisees believed in the existence of the supernatural and the realm of angels and demons.
Based on the various teachings found in the Torah and the experiences that the Jewish
forefathers went through, they believed that angels and demons exist. For instance, Jacob was
visited by an angel with whom he wrestled (Genesis 32:22-32). They would naturally not
ignore such truths. They believed that while angels were from God, demons were from the
devil.

They also held that much as the temple was the sacred and official place from which the LORD
must be worshipped, even homes could also be used for worship. Pharisees did not wait until
they are in the temple to worship God because worship to them was the total observance of the
law and not only the offering of sacrifices in the temple. In other words, they ensured that
everyone abides by the rules, regulations, and the laws of Judaism even outside the temple.

As a consequence of enforcing the oral law, Pharisees earned popularity with the masses of
people. They were so influential in their society that their claims, opinions, and testimonies
were not easily ignored. Josephus wrote, "These have so great power over the multitude, that
when they say anything against the king or the high priests, they are presently believed."8 This
shows that not only did the Pharisees have religious influence, but they possessed some
political influence in their society also. Most often, the views of the Pharisees guided the

7
Ibid
8
Ibid
society amidst all religious dilemmas. For instance, if one commits something unclear as to
whether it is unlawful, the society would consult the Pharisees and would receive a clear
judgment based on the Torah or the oral law.

A “holier than thou” attitude characterized the lives of the Pharisees especially when they were
around people. This sect was so proud to such a level that it wanted everyone to know that it
was the most religious and obedient to the law. Pharisees claimed to be the only ones who
could give a correct interpretation of the law. With their prideful deeds, some members of the
society began to feel spiritually inferior and unworthy to even associate with them. They had a
propensity for publicly discussing other people's sins while hiding theirs. They were so proud
that they could not publicly admit their wrongs but justify their actions by their oral laws.

Pharisees’ Influence in the New Testament

The synoptic gospels present the Pharisees as a critical sect that mostly conflicted with the
teachings of Jesus Christ. They were so skeptical that they could unleash criticisms and
condemnations towards any of Christ's teachings that carried "apparent contradictions" against
their beliefs. For instance, Pharisees emphatically claimed that Christ’s power to exorcise
demons came from that Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24). Such statements influenced all the gullible
people not to believe that it is the Holy Spirit with which Christ was empowered to exorcise
demons. On many occasions, they never recognized the authority of Christ as they thought they
were being robbed of the religious authority they possessed in Judaism.

The Pharisees worked in collaboration with other Jewish sects and some Jews to entirely reject
the deity of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am,” Pharisees were among
the Jews who rose against him as it sounded so blasphemous against their beliefs (John 8:58).
Christ’s claims of divinity aroused a lot of rejections from the Pharisees as they did not believe
in the first place that He was the Son of God. Christ's claims of divinity were one of the reasons
for which he was crucified. “The Jewish leaders insisted, "We have a law, and according to
that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God" (John 19:7, NIV). Thus,
Pharisees together with the Sadducees connived to have Jesus captured and killed.

Pharisees condemned Jesus’ association and dining with the sinners. As it has been previously
mentioned, they always portrayed a “holier than thou” attitude especially when among people.
They could not associate or dine with people who were considered sinners according to their
canon. It was therefore unusual seeing Jesus dining with the “sinners” such as tax collectors.
They said, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:13-17, NIV). For such,
they condemned Jesus as they did not expect such a morally upright man to be on the same
table with the sinners. However, it was for the sinners that Jesus came. He, therefore, drew all
the lost to himself so that they could be found (Luke 19:10).

Pharisees were called a brood of vipers and hypocrites because of how they acted so holy in
public while their private lives were wicked. John the Baptist called them a brood of vipers
because of how cunning they were (Mathew 3:7-10). They were so crafty that they enticed their
fellow Jews from believing the truth that John was preaching concerning the coming Messiah.
They mostly lived contrary to what they publicly professed. About such, Christ said, “Woe to
you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in
men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to”
(Mathew 23:13, NIV). This is proof that Pharisees’ lives were defined by hypocrisy as they did
not practice what they were preaching or professing in the public.

Much as there are many occasions when Christ conflicted with the Pharisees, there were also
a few occasions in which the Pharisees did praiseworthy things. Remember, it is the Pharisees
who ensured that the Jews do not lose their identity because of Hellenization and the
Maccabean influences. When the Pharisees became aware that King Herod wanted to kill Jesus,
they said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you” (Luke
13:31, NIV). Had it not been for this warning, Herod would have succeeded with his malicious
plan. This shows that Pharisees were not entirely evil as some would think.

It should also be noted that the New Testament presents some Pharisees who repented of their
cunning way of life. Nicodemus, a devoted Pharisee and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin
secretly followed Christ and asked him about how he would be born again (John 3). Following
his repentance, he became an ardent follower of Jesus Christ. Paul was another Pharisee who
killed many people who followed Christ and was condemned to death (Acts 9). While Paul
thought he was working for God by killing Christians, he encountered Christ on his way to
Damascus and repented from persecuting the church.

It is the intervention and the influence of the Pharisees that led to the release of the Apostles
from prison for preaching the gospel (Acts 23:1-10). When the apostles were presented before
the Sanhedrin following the allegation of preaching the message of the resurrection of the dead,
Paul deliberately confessed that he was a trained Pharisee. This made all the Pharisees in the
Sanhedrin side with Paul and thereby advocating for his release. This did not settle well in the
hearts of the Sadducees as they never wanted to associate themselves with the concept of the
resurrection of the dead. Thus, the influence of the Pharisees in the New Testament could not
be ignored as they won favor from almost the whole society.
Sadducees
Origin
Regarding their origin, “The Sadducees, sometimes historically called “Zadokites” or
“Tzedukim,” are thought by some to have been founded by a man named Zadok (or Tsadok) in
the second century BC.”9 The word Sadducees come from the Hebrew word tsaddiqim which
means “the righteous ones.” This sect is said to have existed between the second century period
and the fall of Jerusalem (150 BC-70 AD). Much of the information available concerning the
Sadducees is negative as it was written and presented by the authors who were never in
agreement with them. And this includes both the New Testament and the secular authors such
as Flavius Josephus.

Sadducees endorsed only the written law of God and rejected all the traditional laws that were
found in the Jewish culture. Temple rituals were the only traditions that Sadducees welcomed.
Sadducees excluded themselves from participating in doing some things that were not found in
the law regardless of how other sects emphasized them. Thus, while the written law was
everything to the Sadducees, the oral law was nothing and therefore useless to them.

The Sadducees were a small but very wealthy sect of the Jews who controlled all matters related
to the temple. These were very influential aristocrats who associated only with the rich and not
with the poor. While not all of them were priests, most of them were priests. This is why most
often in the New Testament the Chief Priests are identified with the Sadducees’ attributes. This
sect conducted sacrifices in the temple and always ensure that there was purity and sanity in
the Jewish temple through the observance of all temple rituals.

The Sadducees were devoted proponents of Roman rule. This was due to the unprecedented
economic benefits they got out of it and fear of the unpredictable consequences that would
come from disobeying the Roman authority. This made them enemies to the Pharisees and all
the Jews who felt the Roman rule was characterized by imperialism. However, Sadducees never
relented from supporting the Roman government. They defended the Roman government to

9
Michael Housman, "Who were the Sadducees?" Got Questions Ministries, accessed May 09, 2022,
https://www.gotquestions.org/Sadducees.html
the extent that they were even against Christ’s ministry which they thought was undermining
the Roman authority. "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him and the Romans
will come and take away both our place and our nation," the chief priests said of Jesus. (John
11:48, NIV).

According to Josephus, “In the administration of justice, the Sadducees were exceptionally
strict in matters of law and order. Josephus refers to the Sadducees as “more heartless” (or
“savage”) than any of the other Jews when they sit in judgment.10 Because of the heartless
attitude of the Sadducees, Josephus left this sect and joined the sect of the Pharisees that was
lenient compared to the Sadducees. Sadducees are the ones who instigated death sentences such
as those of crucifixions. This implies that even the death sentence of Christ was due to the
influence and judgment of the Sadducees in the Sanhedrin.

Sadducees likely disappeared in the history of the Jews due to the fall of Jerusalem and the
destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD (Mathew 24:3). The Sadducees disappeared because
of the destruction of the temple to which they were glued. “Their lives and political authority
were so intimately bound up with temple worship that after Roman legions destroyed the
temple, the Sadducees ceased to exist as a group, and mention of them quickly disappeared
from history.”11

Attitudes and Beliefs

Almost all of the Sadducees' beliefs were conflicting with those of the Pharisees. On many
occasions, Pharisees and Sadducees had unresolved disagreements given a controversial issue
to resolve. With that in mind, the attitudes and beliefs of the Sadducees shall be discussed in a
contradistinction manner to those of the Pharisees.

While the Pharisees trusted both the Torah and the oral law, Sadducees believed only in the
Torah and rejected the entire oral law. Sadducees held that only the Torah was authoritative
and the rest of the teaching and oral traditions must not be obeyed as they were man-made. As

10
Flavius Josephus, "The Antiquities of the Jews," accessed May 09, 2022,
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/00370103,_Flavius_Josephus,_The_Antiquities_Of_The_Jews,_E
N.pdf
11
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia. "Sadducee." Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed May 09,
2022. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sadducee
a result, they never abode by the traditions that the Pharisees enforced in the society. This
brought a lot of enmity between the two sects.

Sadducees were dedicated priests who always ensured that all the rituals and traditions in the
temple are carried out without compromise. They were always on top of things in all matters
related to the management of the temple. However, Pharisees left the temple to be managed by
the priesthood of the Sadducees as they were too dedicated to the enforcement of the law.
Pharisees were so serious that they held the Sadducees accountable if they happen to have
broken the law. Furthermore, Pharisees fully dedicated themselves to controlling and
overseeing the activities of the synagogues while Sadducees concentrated on the temple alone.

While the Pharisees associated with and won the favor of the common people, Sadducees
associated exclusively with the wealthy people of the society. Sadducees paid no attention to
the poor as they thought there is nothing beneficial that could come out of them. Josephus
wrote, “They only gain the well-to-do; they have not the people on their side … and have the
confidence of the wealthy alone.”12 Until you are rich, you are nothing before the eyes of the
Sadducees. While wealth was prioritized by the Sadducees, holiness was a priority of the
Pharisees in that society.

Contrary to the Pharisees' belief, the concepts of resurrection and the afterlife were heavily
disputed by the Sadducees. They consistently emphasized that human life ends at death. As
such, no evidence could convince them about the resurrection of the dead no matter how vividly
it could be presented. According to them, there was no hope for the dead to rise again because
death ended all things. Just as it has been previously discussed, there was a sharp disagreement
between the Pharisees and Sadducees when Paul appeared before the Sanhedrin for preaching
the message of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:1-10).

Further, Sadducees refuted the concept of the immortality of the soul which Pharisees
supported wholeheartedly. Sadducees emphasized that the soul perishes with the human body
at death. Contrary to that, Pharisees held that while the human body dies, the soul is immortal.
Pharisees also believed that the soul faces the reality of reward and retribution depending on
its actions while on earth but not the Sadducees. The immortality of the soul and the
resurrection of the dead were crucial differences between the two sects.

12
Flavius Josephus, "The Antiquities of the Jews," accessed May 09, 2022,
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/00370103,_Flavius_Josephus,_The_Antiquities_Of_The_Jews,_E
N.pdf
While both groups held some political influence, Sadducees endorsed the Roman rule that was
entirely rejected by the Pharisees. Sadducees were a strong point of coordinating the Roman
rule over the Jews. This was considered a betrayal by the Pharisees as they were looking
forward to the coming Messiah who would liberate them from the oppression of the Romans.
Therefore, Sadducees were more concerned with politics while Pharisees were very concerned
with religion.

Sadducees believed that it is man's free will without any sort of divine intervention that enables
him to choose good or evil. In other words, preordination or predestination was highly rejected
and refuted by this sect. This conflicted with the Pharisees' beliefs of having a mixture of both
free will and predestination in man’s doing of good or evil.

Sadducees’ Influence in the New Testament

The Sadducees consistently ensured that all the Jews were paying taxes to the Roman emperor.
As such, they supported all tax collections as they were a great link of the Roman political
authority. Somehow, Sadducees could have rejoiced if Jesus was trapped by the question that
the Pharisees and Herodians raised about paying taxes to Caesar. While Pharisees and
Herodians wanted Christ to condemn the payment of taxes to Caesar because of his
imperialism, the Sadducees waited for his negative response against paying taxes so that they
could find a reason for discrediting Jesus Christ. However, Christ was wise enough as he
answered, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (Mark 12:14-17).
This shows that, though, with different motives, Sadducees and Pharisees worked together to
have Jesus accused of insubordination.

It is the Sadducees who bribed Judas Iscariot with 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus Christ
(Mathew 26:15-16). This made it possible for Judas to find an opportunity to hand Jesus over
to the hands of the chief priests (Sadducees). When the opportunity availed itself, Judas kissed
Jesus Christ as a way of communicating with the chief priests and the Roman soldiers that He
was the one (Mathew 26:47-50). As a result, Jesus Christ was captured to appear before the
Sanhedrin. This displays the level of influence that the Sadducees held in their society
regardless of not being as popular as the Pharisees.

This sect loved money to the extent that they turned the Herod’s Temple into a business place
from where all commodities were bought and sold. Sadducees continuously benefited
economically as they managed all the affairs concerning the temple and the Roman
government. "When Jesus entered the temple, he drove out all those who had merchandize and
overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said
to them, 'It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of
robbers'" Mathew 21:12-17). Christ's interference in the issues of the temple and trade made
the Sadducees assume that He came to rob them of their management of the temple and
prestigious economic lives. This was probably among the chief reasons for which they
advocated for His crucifixion as they loved money so much that they exclusively associated
with the rich.
Just like the Pharisees, the Sadducees were very critical, cunning, and accusative to those who
displayed some contradictions to the norms of their society. The Sadducees accused Jesus
Christ on many occasions such that even the time he was jailed, they advocated for his death
sentence. Mark wrote, “But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release
Barabbas instead” (Mark 15:11). There were slim chances for someone to escape when they
are subjected to the hands of the Sadducees because they were severe in punishment compared
to Pharisees. Not only did the Sadducees lead to Jesus’ arrest and death, but they also conspired
for the death of James (Mark 14:1-2, Acts 12:1-2). Josephus wrote, “Sadducees were
responsible for the death of James, the half-brother of Jesus.”13

Finally, Sadducees collaborated with the Pharisees in constituting the Sanhedrin that presided
over the Jews. Whenever there was a serious court case to answer, Pharisees and Sadducees
formed a team of 70 members who investigated and judged the case by their laws. In that sense,
they joined has to blame, condemn and punish whoever is found guilty before the Sanhedrin.
This is why it was easy to have Jesus accused, arrested, and killed by both of these sects (Mark
14:1-2). Being subjected to the hands of the Sanhedrin was unpleasant because they were stiff
punishments that the Sadducees unleashed on the offenders.

In conclusion, the existence of Pharisees and Sadducees in Jewish history is remarkable and
crucially significant as it affected the entire Jewish culture for centuries. Having comprehensive
knowledge about these two Jewish sects is key to understanding all the New Testament
passages concerning the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Jewish culture. Unless one understands
Jewish sectarianism, it is difficult to comprehend and fathom the behavior exhibited by the
Pharisees and Sadducees in the New Testament.

13
Ibid
 Bibliography

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia. Pharisee. Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2020.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pharisee.

Bruce Satterfield, The Inter-Testament Period, Brigham Young University

https://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Papers/IntertestamentalPeriod.htm

Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, accessed May 09, 2022,
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/00370103,_Flavius_Josephus,_The_Antiquities
_Of_The_Jews,_EN.pdf

Grace Notes, Jewish Religious System, Grace Notes, Accessed May 09, 2022,
https://www2.gracenotes.info/topics/jewish-religious-system.html

Housman M, Who were the Sadducees? Got Questions Ministries, accessed May 15, 2022,
https://www.gotquestions.org/Sadducees.html

New World Encyclopedia contributors, Pharisees, New World Encyclopedia, accessed May
09,2022.https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title%20=Pharisees&oldid=10
19098