Although Judaism is often referred to as a single type of religious belief and practice, complete agreement among all the Jews concerning either doctrine or manner of living did not occur. We can distinguish several sects or parties within Judaism itself. The largest and most influential of these sects was known as the Pharisees, who took their religion most seriously, especially with reference to their attitude toward the Law. The Pharisees believed that Jews were God's chosen people, distinguished from all others because God revealed his standard of goodness to them, and they alone lived in conformity to it. Their zeal for the Law made them appear exclusive and self-righteous to those who did not belong to their group. To avoid contamination with the evil ways of the world, they avoided contact with foreigners and foreign customs so far as it was possible for them to do so, and they were especially antagonistic toward the influences derived from the cultures of the Greeks and the Romans. They believed in a life after death in which the righteous would be rewarded and the sinners punished for the deeds that they had committed. In many parts of the New Testament, the Pharisees are severely criticized, but we must bear in mind that these accounts were written by people who did not belong to their group. Without doubt, the accounts given are accurate with reference to some of the Pharisees, but it would be a mistake to think that they were all alike. Many of them were men of the finest character, representing in some instances Judaism at its very best.
The Sadducees was another sect, smaller in number than the Pharisees but very influential in determining the policies that affected the lives of the people as a whole. In some respects, they were a conservative group that held a strict and literal interpretation of the Law as recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament. They rejected the so-called oral law, which consisted of the comments and interpretations of prominent rabbis made over long periods of time. Neither did they take seriously many of the ideas presented in the later books of the Old Testament — for example, the resurrection of the dead as set forth in the Book of Daniel. But in their attitude toward Hellenic culture and Roman law, they were far more liberal than the Pharisees. The Sadducees believed that although some important truths had been revealed to the Jews, other nations had important contributions to make as well. They advocated an intermingling of the various cultures of their day, thus giving to each group the opportunity to enrich their own lives through contact with others. Because the priesthood was controlled by the Sadducees and appointments had to be confirmed by officials of the civil government, this sect was able to exercise political power. However, sometimes this power was used more to promote selfish interests than to benefit people as a whole.
