Homework: Due Wednesday• 1. Identify some important beliefs of each of the

following groups: Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots.

• 2. What was the Sanhedrin and why did they dislike Jesus?

• 3. What status did women have in the time of Jesus? What was Jesus’ attitude toward women?

• Reflection: If you had to pick one of the groups from the time of Jesus, which one would you see yourself in and why? AND How does your family and cultural background influence your faith and beliefs?

People in the World of Jesus

The Sadducees• Priests and Wealthy Citizens

who cared for Temple practices and worship in Jerusalem.

• They worked with the Romans so they could keep their positions.

• They believed only the Torah was the word of God and did not accept the idea of resurrection, immortality, or angels.

The Sanhedrin• The law-making body and supreme court of the

Jewish faith which was made up of 71 Sadducees.

• This is the group that Jesus on trial and saw him as a threat to their power.

The Pharisees• A Jewish group that believed in resurrection, divine judgment, and

practices like fasting. • They opposed working with the Romans. Pharisees means

separated ones and this group followed strict Jewish Law. • They came into conflict with Jesus because they tried to adapt

God’s law to everyday life. • Many Pharisees debated with Jesus over the interpretation of the

Torah, however some decided to join Jesus.

The Essenes• A group that believed God would bring the new

kingdom through a dramatic/catastrophic event. • They lived on the edge of society in desert communities. • This is the group that saved the Dead Sea Scrolls when

the Jewish Temple was destroyed.

The Zealots• Jewish group that

openly opposed the Romans and believed it was necessary to violently overthrow their rule.

• Famous for their heroic stand at the fortress of Masada.

Other Groups• The Galileans were

common people called “people of the land” who were generally open to Jesus’ words and teachings.

• Tax Collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans and as a result were hated by other Jews. Jesus openly accepted and preached to this group.

Other Groups Continued• Gentiles were people

who lived in Judea but were either not Jewish or had converted to Judaism.

Women in the World of Jesus• Women were viewed as

property in the time of Jesus. They were viewed as too weak to follow religious law and men could divorce their wife for any reason.

• They were mainly limited to the home and worship separately in the synagogue.

• Jesus on the other hand treated women as equals and encouraged men to treat their wives well.