Israelites, Pharisees & Sadducees In The 21st Century Church

After the Temple Destruction
After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Sadducees appear only
in a few references in the Talmud. In the beginnings of Karaism, the followers of Anan
ben David were called "Sadducees" and set a claim of the former being a historical
continuity from the latter.
The Sadducee concept of the mortality of the soul is reflected on by Uriel Acosta, who
mentions them in his writings. Acosta was referred to as a Sadducee in Karl Gutzkow's
play The Sadducees in Amsterdam (1834).
Religious
Role of the Sadducees
The religious responsibilities of the Sadducees included the maintenance of the Temple
in Jerusalem. Their high social status was reinforced by their priestly responsibilities, as
mandated in the Torah. The priests were responsible for performing sacrifices at the
Temple, the primary method of worship in ancient Israel. This included presiding over
sacrifices during the three festivals of pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Their religious beliefs
and social status were mutually reinforcing, as the priesthood often represented the
highest class in Judean society. However, Sadducees and the priests were not
completely synonymous. Cohen points out that "not all priests, high priests, and
aristocrats were Sadducees; many were Pharisees, and many were not members of
any group at all."
Political
The Sadducees oversaw many formal affairs of the state. Members of the Sadducees:
Administered the state domestically
Represented the state internationally
Participated in the Sanhedrin, and often encountered the Pharisees there.
Collected taxes. These also came in the form of international tribute from Jews in
the Diaspora.
Equipped and led the army
Regulated relations with the Romans
Mediated domestic grievances.
Beliefs
General
The Sadducees rejected the Oral Torah as proposed by the Pharisees. Rather, they
saw the written Torah as the sole source of divine authority. The written law, in its
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