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Religious groups in Palestine - Coggle Diagram
Religious groups in Palestine
Pharisees
The name is taken from the Aramaic
perisha
, meaning 'separated one'. It is not clear what they were separating from: the Greek way of life? Or the uncleanliness/corruption of the priesthood? Or the ordinary people of the land?
They were thought to have originated during the time of the Hellenisation of the Jews. Their aim was to preserve adherence to the Law under the threat of assimilation
As they were laymen and scribes, they ere influential among ordinary Jews and were dominant in the synagogues
They believed that the Written Law needed to be applied to new situations; the Oral Law (Halakah) developed. This made God's will and Temple purity applicable to everyday life; practical holiness
They believed in an afterlife, angels and demons, and predestination
Different schools of thought developed within the Pharisaic tradition; Hillel was viewed as more liberal than his contemporary Shammai
They were influential in religious rather than political affairs
Sadducees
The exact origin of the group is debatable; maybe they were named after the priestly line of Zadok or the name was derived from the Hebrew
sadiq
, meaning 'righteousness'
They probably emerged around the same time as the Pharisees; they too wanted to preserve the Jewish faith but for them it meant a faith centred on the Temple
The Sadducees can be viewed as a 'back to basics' party; they believed only in the Written Law and rejected all beliefs about life after death
They were a small but influential group, consisting mainly of the priests in the Temple and the aristocratic and wealthy families
The High Priest and many members of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees
They had more political power than the Pharisees; the High Priest was appointed by the Romans
They controlled the Temple and its revenue and cooperated with the Romans; they opposed armed conflict
Zealots
Josephus referred to the Zealots as the fourth Jewish philosophy and named their founder as Judas, a Galillean who led a revolt in 6 CE against the Romans
Their beliefs were closely aligned to those of the Pharisees, but they strongly believed in the kingship of God and so were not willing to accept any earthly ruler
They were more of a political movement and drew support from Pharisees, Essenes and the general populace
Often described as a 'guerrilla movement' or 'freedom fighters', they wanted to end Roman rule as it was an offence to God
They reviled the Pharisees and Sadducees as they had accepted Roman rule
Their defence of Masada, where they fought to their death, is an indication of their 'zeal'
Essenes
Often referred to as the 'Pious Ones', they appeared as a group in the second century BCE
Josephus regarded them as an important group numbering about 4,000
Even though they held some beliefs in common with the other groups, they were different as they lived in communities separated from the rest of society
Knowledge of their beliefs and practises has been enhanced by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, believed to be an Essene community
They led a monastic type of life in the Judean desert; the male community was celibate, they were initiation rites and an emphasis on ritual cleanliness
Many of the writings at Qumran were apocalyptic; the Essenes hoped for a priestly Messiah who would restore the purity of the Temple