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.
Second Temple Judaism · 2026-07-19
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.
Second Temple Judaism · 2026-07-19
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.