religious scene Flashcards
(5 cards)
the samaritans
The Samaritans were a group who were not considered by mainstream Judaism to be truly Jewish. They followed the 10 Commandments, and all the other laws of Moses, but did not worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead they had a rival temple on Mount Gerazim. There was a great deal of antagonism between Jews and Samaritans, but if you had been an outside at the time of Jesus you would have difficultly telling the difference! It is believed that the cause of the antagonism went back to a period when Samaritans married people who were not Jewish and therefore contaminated the pure race descended from Abraham.
The Sadducees
The Sadducees where the aristocracy. They were wealthy people connected with the temple in Jerusalem. They were the ruling class who controlled the temple. They cooperated with the Romans who occupied Israel in the time of Jesus. In the temple, they acted as priests and performed sacrifices. They only accepted the rich and laws of Moses. They did not believe in life after death or angels and rejected any interpretations of the scripture that was not literal
The pharisees
The Pharisees were a group within Judaism who worked closely with the people. They were unconcerned with political power and put their energy into devotion and study of the laws of Moses. They interpreted the Lords for the people and advise on how best to obey it for example the law to keep the Sabbath days holy is one of the 10 commandments but what does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? It was the Pharisees who interpreted it to mean no work full stock further than this they defined what it was to work. Ploughing, cooking, walking on a journey then to the synagogue was not allowed, as the Pharisees Claim that this was work. Debates raged whether it was a right to eat an egg laid on the Sabbath, as the hen had worked. Furthermore was it OK to move a chair if the floor was made of earth, as this could be seen as ploughing? This is the job of the Pharisees. Their work centred on the synagogue where all the local people would go. Their influence was therefore greater among the people than that of the Sadducees but the Sadducees had political influence. They were always vigilant in making sure that people kept the laws and did not mix with those whom they considered unclean. Such people included tax collectors, prostitutes and those who did not keep the laws seriously.
the Zealots
The Zealots where another group within Judaism. Their distinguishing feature was their willingness to use violence and forced to overthrow the Roman occupation. They had little time for the Sadducees who cooperated with the Romans
the Essenes
The Essenes were a group who were not mentioned in the New Testament but may have been the group who settled in the Dead Sea at Qumran; where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. They adopted a monastic lifestyle with communal washing and meals. Many think that John the Baptist may have been an Essene
