JUDAISM IN THE TIME OF JESUS

Key religious –political groups and persons

Sanhedrin

“Assembly” or “senate”An organization of 70 Jewish elders, scribes, priests, sadducees, pharisees who governed the Jewish peopleDecided court cases, decided religious doctrine and settled religious disputes; made lawsHeaded by a president, could be the high priestRecognized and co-opted by the Romans

A Sadducee before the Ark

“aristocracy” among the priests

Caretakers and overseers of the temple in Jerusalem

Believed that only the Torah was valid for Jews to follow. Did not believe in interpretations of the law by the pharisees

Did not believe in resurrection after death

Colluded with the Romans and did not always act in the best interest of the Jewish people

Pharisee

“set apart” “pure”

Experts on scripture

Open to new books of scripture as valid for Jews to follow

Made commentaries on Jewish law called the “oral Torah” – later became the Mishnah

Emphasized following the Law and loving the Law vs. the importance of temple sacrifice

Wanted to help people know and love the law and not see it as a burden

The Essenes

Had serious, and sometimes violent, disagreements with both the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

They considered the Pharisees to be too lax in their traditions.

they thought the Sadducees were corrupt leaders who misunderstood or simply disobeyed God’s laws for running the temple cult.

Were looked upon as practicing a “mystery cult” by most Jews Moved to the wilderness

To separate themselves completely to God

To keep their faith pure and apart from the corruption of the world

Scribes

Among the few who could read and write

They became necessary during the Babylonian exile that’s when the stories of the Patriarchs, the Exodus and all of the Torah were begun to be written down

They knew the Torah extremely well and interpreted the Law for the Sanhedrin

They were also known as teachers, rabbis, and often overlapped with the Pharisees

Tax Collectors

Collected two types of taxes:•for Rome •for the Jewish authorities, the Sanhedrin

For Rome, they collected taxes on commerce, produce, land , travel, etc.Jews had been paying the Greeks prior to that

The Romans hired Jews to do their “dirty work”

For the Sanhedrin, there was a Temple tax, among other taxes

Zealots – died at Masada after Romans attackedA group of rebels against Rome who took the Maccabees as their inspiration.

If the Maccabees could overthrow the Greek oppressor, the zealots believed that they could do the same with the Romans.

Plotted a rebellion during Jesus’ life and in 66 CE, after Jesus’ death, openly rebelled vs. Rome

The rebels were decimated by the Romans and in 70 CE the Romans also destroyed the temple of Jerusalem

The mountain, Masada, is the Zealots’ “Last stand” after they escaped from Jerusalem.(there was a final revolt in 135 but Rome won that battle as well)