III. Character and Beliefs of the Sadducees. The Sadducees were few in
numbers compared with the Pharisees. They represented, on the one side,
the old priestly aristocracy, and on the other the new nobility that
rallied about the Maccabean leaders. They depended for their authority
upon their wealth, their inherited prestige, and the support of the
throne. They were in reality a political rather than a religious party.
In politics they were progressives and opportunists. Any policy that
promised to further their individual or class interests was acceptable to
them. As is usually the case with parties that represent wealth and
hereditary power, they were conservatives in belief. They stood squarely
on the earlier scriptures of their race and had no sympathy with the later
Pharisaic interpretations and doctrines. Whether or not, as Josephus
asserts, they entirely rejected fate, that is, the providential direction
of human affairs, is not clear. Probably in this belief they did not
depart from the earlier teachings of priests and prophets. Their selfish
and often unscrupulous acts suggest a basis for Josephus's claim, even
though allowance must be made for his hostile attitude toward them. While
they were conservatives in theory, the Sadducees were of all classes in
Judaism most open to Greek and heathen influence, for foreign alliances
and Hellenic culture offered opportunities for advancement and power.

IV. Character and Beliefs of the Essenes. Less important but even more
interesting are the Essenes. They were a sect, or monastic order, rather
than a political or religious party. Josephus, who asserts that for a time
he was associated with them, has given a full account of their peculiar
customs. They evidently represented a strong reaction against the
prevailing corruption and a return to the simple life. Their spirit of
humility, fraternity, and practical charity are in marked contrast to the
aims of the Sadducees and the later Maccabean rulers. In their beliefs