Bilhartz did well in explaining the setting in which Jesus was born into. What I found intriguing was the different classes of Jews of that time. There were those who opposed Hasmonean rulers, foreign expansion, and rule by aristocrats known as the Pharisees, which is derived from a Hebrew word meaning "the separated". Then there were those in favor of foreign expansion and Hasmonean rulers known as the Sadducees (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 56). Differences between the two groups were apparent in their religious beliefs, political views, and social class. Representing the upper class of society were the Sadducees, while the Pharisees belonged to the middle class. The Sadducees held many important religious offices in the Temple and controlled the majority of the council of Jewish elders known as the Sanhedrin ( Bilhartz, 2006, p. 56). …show more content…
The Pharisees also wanted to spread Judaism, but by through example and persuasion rather than by force. The parties also had different ideas about what the scriptures said. The Sadducees believed solely in what was stated in the Written Law. They do not believe in the resurrection, angels, or the coming judgment day because little was written about these matters in the Torah (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 57). The Pharisees, however, were more liberal in their interpretation of the Torah. They believed that principles in the Torah were essential for everyday life and that the giving of the Oral Law alongside with the Written Law to Moses supported the belief in angels and the coming judgment (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 57). I appreciate Bilhartz clarifying the difference between the two. I read about these two groups in the Bible but had no idea of the difference between