Of the four important schools of Jewish 'philosophy' that Josephus assert were prominent in Palestine in the century before and after Christ, the Sadducees come second in the frequency of their mention in the NT (9x in Gospels: 7x Matt, 1x each in Mk & Lk; 5x in Acts; over against 101x for the Pharisees). It is interesting that on nine occasions, they are mentioned together with and set in contrast to the Pharisees (Matt 3:7; 16:1, 6, 11, 12; 22:34; Acts 23:6, 7, 8.), thus highlignting the contrast between them: the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, which the Pharisees did (a fact mentioned 5x: Matt 22:23; Mk 12:18; Lk 20:27; Acts 23:6 & 8). John the Baptist calls them (together with the Pharisees) "you brood of vipers" (Matt 3:7). While the Sadducees are reported—like the Pharisees—to "test" Jesus (Matt 16:1), and Jesus repeatedly warned the crowd to "be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees," Jesus was never reported to have called the Sadducees 'hypocrites' like he did the Pharisees. This is an observation and may have no particular significance. It certainly cannot be taken to suggest that the Sadducees were a "better lot" than the Pharisees.
Much like the Pharisees, little is known about them, largely because reliable sources are few, confined as it were only to (in more or less chronological order) the NT, Josephus, and possibly the Mishnah. Jospehus reported that they enjoyed the favour of the Hasmonean rulers until the reign of Alexandra Salome, but is unaware of anything about their origin as a group. They were also rude, few in number, and held only the confidence of the wealthy. They held as authoritative only the written laws of Moses, and rejected the traditions of the father. Josephus confirms the NT assertion that they reject any belief in a resurrection; they also reject the idea of predestination, holding that each person is responsible for what he made of his life. If Josephus is right—most scholars think Josephus has a rather heavy load of credibility deficit as a historian—Sadducees would be secularists in their overall worldview. To these, the Mishnah adds little more.
The origin of their name remains unknown; several hypotheses have been proposed but none carries any weight of confidence.
Read the entry in
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (longer) M
Eaton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (shorter) M
RESOURCES:
Peter G. Bolt, "What Were the Sadducees Reading? An Enquiry into the Literary Background of Mark 12:18-23," Tyndale Bulletin 45.2 (1994):369-394.
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