Sadducees

The Sadducees were a Jewish religious and political group active in the Second Temple period, closely associated with Jerusalem’s priestly elite. Ancient sources portray them as rejecting resurrection and certain doctrines not grounded in the Torah.

Second Temple Judaism: The diverse forms of Jewish life and thought during the period of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The Sadducees emerged within this broader religious and political world.
Jerusalem Temple: The principal sanctuary of ancient Judaism, located in Jerusalem and central to sacrificial worship. The Sadducees’ power was closely tied to its priesthood and rites.
Resurrection: The belief that the dead will be restored to life, often in a transformed or renewed existence. Ancient sources identify rejection of resurrection as a defining Sadducean position.
Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE): The Roman siege that culminated in the capture and destruction of Jerusalem during the First Jewish–Roman War. The Temple’s destruction removed the institutional base most closely associated with Sadducean power.
Second Temple: The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem that stood from the late sixth century BCE until its destruction by Rome in 70 CE. Its worship and administration were central to Sadducean influence.
High Priest of Israel: The chief priestly office responsible for leading major rites in the Jerusalem Temple. High priests were central figures in the political order associated with the Sadducees.
Essenes: A Jewish movement of the Second Temple period associated with communal discipline and apocalyptic expectations. They represent a different form of religious life from the Sadducean Temple establishment.
Destruction of the Second Temple: The Roman destruction of Jerusalem’s Second Temple in 70 CE during the First Jewish–Roman War. Without the Temple, the Sadducees’ priestly and political role largely disappeared.
Zadokite priesthood: The hereditary priestly line associated with Zadok, which held authority in the Jerusalem Temple in several periods. The Sadducees were linked by ancient sources to the Temple’s priestly establishment.
Torah: The foundational Jewish teaching, especially the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Ancient reports connect Sadducean legal positions to the written Torah.

Linked from 10 pages