Prominent Jewish Religious and Political Groups

Prominent Jewish Religious and Political Groups
Name and Selected References	Description	Agreement with Jesus	Disagreement with Jesus
Pharisees Matthew 5:20 Matthew 23:1-36 Luke 6:2 Luke 7:36-47	Strict group of religious Jews who advocated obedience to the most minute portions of the Jewish law and traditions. Very influential in the synagogues.	Respect for the law, belief in the resurrection of the dead, committed to obeying God’s will.	Rejected Jesus’ claim to be Messiah because he did not follow all their traditions and associated with notoriously wicked people.
Sadducees Matthew 3:7 Matthew 16:11, 12 Mark 12:18	Wealthy, upper class, Jewish priestly party. Rejected the authority of the Bible beyond the five books of Moses. Profited from business in the Temple. They, along with the Pharisees, were one of the two major parties of the Jewish high council.	Showed great respect for the five books of Moses, as well as the sanctity of the Temple.	Denied the resurrection of the dead. Though the Temple could also be used as a place to transact business.
Teachers of Religious Law Matthew 7:29 Mark 2:6 Mark 2:16	Professional interpreters of the law—who especially emphasized the traditions. Many teachers of religious law were Pharisees	Respect for the law. Committed to obeying God.	Denied Jesus’ authority to reinterpret the law. Rejected Jesus as Messiah because he did not obey all of their traditions
Supporters of Herod Matthew 22:16 Mark 3:6 Mark 12:13	A Jewish political party of King Herod’s supporters	Unknown. In the Gospels they tried to trap Jesus with questions and plotted to kill him.	Afraid of Jesus causing political instability. They saw Jesus as a threat to the political future at a time when they were trying to regain from Rome some of the lost political power.
Zealots Luke 6:15 Acts 1:14	A fiercely dedicated group of Jewish patriots determined to end Roman rule in Israel.	Concerned about the future of Israel. Believed in the Messiah but did not recognize Jesus as the one sent by God.	Believed that the Messiah must be a political leader who would deliver Israel from Roman occupation
Essenes none	Jewish monastic group practicing ritual purity and personal holiness	Emphasized justice, honesty commitment.	Believed ceremonial rituals made them righteous.