The Sadducees in the Bible were a Jewish group whose responsibilities included maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem. They were opposed to Jesus, his believers, as well as the group they are often compared to, the Pharisees. Their beginnings date back to the second century BC.
While some observances of the written law played a role in the lives of the Sadducees, they contradicted the Scriptures in the fact they did not believe in angels, demons, a coming Messiah, or life after death (Acts 23:8). They accepted only the Old Testament (written law) as having any kind of authority in their lives. This is where they often found themselves at odds with the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed oral law to be authoritative, binding, and equal to written Scripture.
The Rich And Powerful Sadducees
This sect was associated with the affluent and wealthy of society. They seemed to be more concerned with political power than religion. A cozy relationship with the Romans was kept by them while they sought to control the Jewish people with their positions as high priest, chief priest, as well as the seats they held in the Sanhedrin.
The Sadducees were not looked on favorably by the common man. When John the Baptist saw them and the Pharisees coming to where he was baptizing, he called them a bunch of snakes (Mathew 3:7).
Enemies Of Jesus
Interactions between the Sadducees and Jesus that we read about in the Bible show a group making feeble attempts to trip the Lord up with questions and test. (Mathew 16:1) (Mark 12:18) Eventually, they would play a major role in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as the arrest of some of the apostles in the Book of Acts.
The Sadducees existence came to an end after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. at the hands of the Romans.
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