SADDUCEES
SADDUCEKS
319
The diBcuflsion of the ori^n and evolution of Semitic sacriflce to dominated by Wellhausfn, Skuz^m u. VorarOeiifn, liesU arab. Ufutenthums^, Berlin, 16«7,aud cap. \V. R. Smith, /W2, London, l»y4, examined by .Marillicr in lieu, de ChUt. des llel. (1897-98); Hubert et Mauss, ' Essai sur le nature et ia fon^tion du sacrifice,' In L'Aniifr Sociolmi'nu for 1SU7-98, I'aris. For the place of Bacritiee in tiie lieathen reiipons see de ia Saussave. Lt)irb. der Jietiffiontyejii:/iir/tte, Kreibarjf, 1SS7 ; Tiele, Get-c/iichte der lieL im AUerUtum, (^otha, 1803; Jevons, An Introduction to the Butirry qf Hetigiun, London, 1890; Tylor, Primitive Culture^, London, 1891 ; il. S[>encer, Principles of Sociolofftjy London, 1876; Lubboclc, Orvjxn o/ Civilization^ London, 1889; Frazer, The Gulden Bowjh'-, London, 1900; Zimmern, lieitriLfje zur Kfnnlnins der babijlon. Rcti(jion, Leipzig, 1&9C: Na^elsbach, Homeritiehe Theoio'jic^. Niirnberg, 1884; Famell, t'uitg of the Greek States, Oxford, l&t»(J ; Fowler, The Roman FejiticaU of Ui» Period of th* Republic, London, 1S90.
W. P. Patkbson. SADDUCEES.—
i. Ori;^n and History of the SaddaceM. U. Derivation ol Hit; name ' Sudducee.' UL Their opiHjsition to the Pbari(>eea.
(a) Coiitroveraies aa to the IjSiw: (1) Crimln*! Law,
(2) qucslionB of Ritual, (3) the Feasts. (6) Doctrinal ditferencea : (1) aa to the resurrection of the body, and future retribution ; (2) aa to the existence of aii^rels and spirits; (3) aM to *fate' and free n'ill, and Divine providence, iv. The Sadducees and Jeaus.
i. Origin and History op the Sadducees (cf. art. Pharisees, § i.).— The Sadducees were the spiritual descendants of the priestly party in Jemsaleni, which, towards the close of tlie Greek period of Israel's history, was anxious to Hcllenize the Palestinian .Je«s. The Maccaba;an rising (see art. Maccabees), which was caused by the attempt of Antiochus Epiphanes to accomplish this by violence, taught these Ilellenizers the folly of tampering with the national religion ; while the success of Judas Maccaba'us and his brothers in assertin" the nation's political independence de- prived them of olBce and power. Tlieir descend- ants, however, speedily accommodated themselves to the new order of things, which was in many respects after tlieir mind. The Maccabtcan rising had ended otherwise than was hoped when it bsyan. In the course of the struggle for national inaependence the Maccabee brothers were com- pelled to enter into alliances with foreign princes, to receive honours and dignities from them, and in general to maintain their cause by the use of purely secular means. The .Jewish State which they set up was not essentially dillcrent from the secular States around them. Tliis led to a new development of parties among the Jews. The HASiUiEANS, who had withdrawn from the struggle with the Syrians, when religious freedom was granted, grew both in numbers and in strictness, and came to be known as the Pharisees. Their great concern was, not that the nation should be politically independent, but that it should be secured against the intrusion of all foreign ele- ments by the most scrupulous observance of the Law. And they now found themselves face to face, not with foreign rulers, but with native princes, who, while thoroughly orthodox in the faith, were indillerent to what they conceived to be the interests of religion, and from whom they accordingly became increasingly estranged.
The successors of the llcllinizcrs, on the other hand, were in f\ill sympathy witli the sec\ilar mlicy of the llasmona'an princes, and, unlike the Vliarisces, took no exception to the illegitimacy of tlieir high priesthood. They entered the service of the new princes as soldiers and diplomatists, and, drawing around them the lea<ling adherents of the new dynasty, formed the party, to which was given their family name of Zadokites or Sad- tiurer^i. Taught by experience, this party made no violent attempts to introduce Greek customs ; but they were a purely political party : their main interest was in the .Jewish State as an independent State, and not, like that of the Pharisees, in the legal
purity of the Jews as a religious community. The tension between the Hasmoineans and the Phari- sees at last became so keen that John llyrcanus broke decisively with the latter, and openly pro- claimed himself on the side of the Sadducees.
From their first appearance in history as a dis- tinct party (during the reign of John Hyrcanus, B.C. 135-105), the Sadducees were the devoted adherents of the Hasmona'an princes. Under Aristobulus L and Alexander Janna^us, the im- mediate successors of John Hyrcanus, their party was supreme. Under Alexandra Salome the Phari- sees were for a short time in possession of power ; but when Aristobulus II. became king the Sad- ducees once more came to the front. They sup- ported him in his conflict with Hyrcanus II., Antipater, and the Romans, and they also stood by him and his two sons, Alexander ami Antigonus, in their attempts to restore the Hasmona;an dynasty. But the day of their political power was now past. Their numbers were also considerably reduced. When Poinpey captured Jerusalem (B.C. 63) he executed many of their leaders, as did also Herod (B.C. 37). Herod further diminished their influence by appointing and removing high priests accord- ing to his own pleasure, and by fliling the San- hedrin with his own creatures. When Juda;a, after the deposition of Archelaus, came under the direct rule of the Romans, the Sadducees, who now included the families raised to the dignity of the high priesthood by Herod, again attained a measure of power through their preponderance in the Sanhedrin, to which the Romans committed the internal government of the country, reserving to themselves, however, not only the control of all military matters and the levying of customs, but also the confirmation and execution of all capital sentences. Matters remained thus down to the troubled days that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem, except durin<' the short reign of Agripjia I. (A.D. 41-44), \Wio favoured the Phari- sees. But the latter were the real possessors of power ; for, in order to render themselves tolerable to the people, the Sadducees were compelled to act in most matters in accordance witli Pharisaic principles. And when Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel ceased to exist as a nation, they speedily disappeared entirely from history.