Second Temple Judaism
Second Temple Judaism contained many institutions, practices, local communities, and schools of interpretation. A three-sect chart is a doorway into that world, not a floor plan of every Jewish life. We identify what Josephus, the New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and later rabbinic texts can each show—and where the historian should leave a question mark at the table.
Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes: A Careful Guide
Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes were distinct Jewish schools or movements in the Second Temple period, described most systematically by Josephus.
What Does Pharisee Mean? Name and Later Usage
“Pharisee” names a member of a Jewish movement in the Second Temple period.
When Did the Pharisees Start?
The Pharisees have no recoverable founding year. Josephus places Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes in a passage set during Jonathan's Hasmonean leadership…
Who Were the Pharisees? History Beyond the Stereotype
The Pharisees were a Jewish movement or school active in the late Second Temple period, known from Josephus, the New Testament, some later rabbinic…