Biblical Nations - Jewish Sadducees

Sadducees

Key Scripture: Acts 23:8

Figures: Annas, Caiaphas

This week we continue our dive into some of the groups within the first-century Jewish community, and once again our focus falls on a political sect.  These are people with whom Jesus and the other players in the Gospel story would have been acquainted, and perhaps even members of their inner circle.  The target this week falls upon the Sadducees, a powerful group of wealthy men who populated the upper echelon of society but who captured the attention of some of the most influential names in the early church for reasons they may not have wanted.  Although there is no historical documentation of their goals and beliefs from their own perspective, we can learn about them from the Bible and secondary sources. 

During the period of time that falls between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people had to adapt to various changes in governance and politics.  No longer led by their own judges or kings, the remaining descendants of Israel had been dominated by foreign powers for several hundred years since the original destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.  After living under the control of Babylon, Persia, and Greece, the Jews revolted against the Seleucid dynasty during the second century BC and established their own kingly line, known as the Hasmonean dynasty.  Led by the Maccabeus family, Judea expanded control and influence while also introducing new forms of political intrigue and maneuvering.  It was into this climate that the Sadducees came into being, and their name is believed to be derived from the name Zadok (either the high priest who lived during the reigns of David and Solomon, or a founder of the group that had the same name).  Possibly they named themselves after a high priest to cast a pall on the scandalous act of John Hyrcanus, a Hasmonean from a non-priestly Levitical line, usurping the role of high priest. 

Religiously, this group was known to publicly support the writings found in the Torah and recognized it as the sole authority on faith and life.  Among their roles was the money exchange and sale of acceptable offerings at the Temple.  They did not, however, believe in the presence of supernatural beings such as angels or demons, and thought that death was the ultimate end of everything with no possibility of an afterlife or resurrection.  Politically, the Sadducees wielded significant influence in daily life by dominating the Sanhedrin, Jerusalem's top judicial body.  The high priest led the Sanhedrin and was typically a Sadducee, as was the case for the two men recognized in Scripture as officiating the trial against Jesus Christ before he was handed over to the Romans.  Socially, the group was wealthy and aristocratic, making them very self-sufficient and also satisfied with maintaining the leadership status quo.  It seems that their interest in Jesus stemmed, at least in part, from their concern about his disruption of their place of status. 

The Bible first mentions the Sadducees in the book of Matthew when John the Baptist called them to repent from their sins, along with their Pharisee colleagues.  They later questioned Jesus about the resurrection, posing tricky questions to either disprove or discredit his teachings, but were unsuccessful.  Jesus was directly targeting the Sadducees when he attacked the tables of the money changers in the Temple.  Consequently, they sought ways to destroy him and were actively involved in his arrest and crucifixion.  Jesus had told the disciples to beware of their teachings, but even after his ascension the Sadducees continued to challenge them - arresting, threatening, and condemning any who dared preach the name of Jesus.  When under trial by the Sanhedrin, Paul cleverly played the Sadducees and Pharisees against each other by claiming he was only there because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead, which resulted in such a violent argument that the Roman soldiers had to remove Paul from the scene. 

One remaining side note is worth mentioning, and that presents itself in the person of Joseph of Arimathea.  He was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, but unlike his companion in Jesus' burial, Nicodemus, we are not told from which sect he came.  His description certainly matches much of what we know of the Sadducees, and if that's the case it is intriguing that he quickly offered his own tomb for Jesus.  The Gospels tell us that he was a secret follower of Jesus who was "looking forward to the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43) so perhaps he had reconsidered his hope in both an afterlife and the resurrection.  Although the Sadducees were wealthy, well-connected, and powerful, their influence ultimately did not last.  When Titus crushed Jerusalem in AD 70, much as Nebuchadnezzar had over 500 years earlier, the Jewish nation was diminished so significantly that the parties that had wrestled for control ceased to matter.  The group so closely tied to both Rome and the Temple could not survive the destruction of one by the other.