Sadducees

The Sadducees were a Jewish religious and political group active in Judea during the Second Temple period, roughly from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The name is commonly derived from the high priest Zadok, or from the priestly faction associated with the house of Zadok, though the exact etymology is debated. They were closely tied to the priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem and controlled the Temple service and the priesthood.

In terms of belief, the Sadducees accepted only the written Torah as authoritative and rejected the Pharisaic Oral Law. They emphasized a literal interpretation of the text and the centrality of Temple ritual. They rejected belief in the resurrection of the dead and in angels, and they did not embrace the later Rabbinic notions that arose from the Oral Torah.

Historically, they were one of the two major factions in Jewish society during the late Second Temple period, often opposing the Pharisees. They tended to favor the priesthood and cooperation with the ruling powers, including Rome, to maintain Temple authority. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the Sadducees lost institutional power and the Pharisaic approach to law and practice—what became Rabbinic Judaism—became dominant.