Other Sects

The Sadducees

In the days of Antiochus (c 175BCE) Jason, "laboured underhand" to supplant his brother Onias the legitimate High Priest, and when he was successful "he brought up new customs against the Law" and "not setting by the honours of their fathers, but liking the glory of Greece best of all."

This led to the expulsion of Jason and his followers from the Essenes. They became known as the Sadducees because thy forsook God's laws to follow those of Jason of the Zadoc line.

According to Josephus, their members were relatively small being limited "mainly to the rich". They were able to obtain and stay in power because, if threatened, their wealth enabled them to hire mercenaries to protect their interests. Rather than go to this extreme in Josephus' time, they frequently bowed to the wishes of the Sect of the Pharisees who had the multitudes on its side."

They were hated by both the Pharisees and Essenes.

The Pharisees

Every member of the Sect of the Essenes had to swear tremendous oaths that he would "cause no harm to anyone". In taking up arms to protect their religion Mattathias and his sons broke their oath and were expelled from the Essenes. When a company of Assidians "mighty men of Israel even all such as were voluntarily devoted to the Law" (scribes) joined them, they too were expelled for breaking their oath.

These were the first Pharisees, the Separatists. In Herod's time the Sect contained 6000 members according to Josephus.

They "had a great capacity for opposing kings". When they opposed Herod he responded by killing their leaders.

In any confrontation with the Sadducees the Pharisees could count on the support of the followers of the Sect of the Essenes up until the Roman invasion.

It is important to emphasize that unlike the departure of the Sadducees the Pharisses were expelled because of breaking their oath of non-violence, not because of any differences in doctrine. By Josephus' time the doctrines had diverged somewhat, but were still very similar.

The Fourth Sect

In "Antiquities", Josephus mentions a fourth sect which came out of Galilee. They had a priesthood that, like the Pharisees, took part directly in revolutionary activity and "agreed with all other things with the Pharisees notions." I believe Josephus is referring to the Zealots.

The members fought to the death against Roman domination and attacked Jews who supported the regime.

While Josephus seems to suggest the Zealots were of Pharisee origin, Hippolytes says both the Zealots and Sicarri were the radical wing of the Essenes.

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