Religious life in Judea Flashcards
The Sanhedrin
group of elders and social leaders, served as the seat of religious and political authority
the Synagogue
not houses of worship and study (no sacrifices), often led by non-priests
four sectarian groups in Judea
Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Revolutionaries
Pharisees
came from all parts of society, they emphasized the study of the Torah and the Oral Torah, embraced many of the religious developments of the Hellenistic period (but not Hellenism)
Sadducees
usually came from the aristocratic elite, responsible for the administration of the Temple, rejected the authority of the Oral Torah and most religious developments of the Hellenistic period
Essenes
lived in isolated communities, under monastery-like ascetic guidelines, produced the Dead Sea Scrolls
most well-known group of the Essenes lived near:
Qumran
Revolutionary groups
Sicarii, Zealots, Samaritans
Sicarii
assassinated Romans and Roman sympathizers
Zealots
instrumental in the Jewish revolts of 66-70 CE
Samaritans
trace origins back to northern tribes of Israel, have some similarities with the Jews (worship YHWH and live by the Torah)
Differences between Samaritans and Jews
places of worship and different biblical traditions, reflecting their preference for Mt. Gerizim
without sacrificial system and the temple, Judaism in diaspora emphasized other religious practices like:
Sabbath, Kashrut, and Torah Study
for diasporic groups the synagogue was:
the center of religious and intellectual life
pre-70 CE there was a hope for the future and
Messianic expectation
