sadducee
Noun: A member of an ancient Jewish sect that existed from around the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The Sadducees were known for their conservative approach to religious law, accepting only the written Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) as authoritative and rejecting later oral traditions and beliefs such as the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and divine fate. They were typically associated with the priestly and aristocratic classes in Jerusalem.
The term is used historically and in religious studies to refer to this specific group and their doctrines, often in contrast to the Pharisees. - The Sadducee questioned Jesus about the resurrection, as described in the Gospels. - Theological debates between Pharisees and Sadducees were common in the Second Temple period.
- Sadducean (adjective): Pertaining to the Sadducees or their teachings.
- His interpretation reflected a Sadducean perspective, focusing strictly on the written law.
- Sadduceanism (noun): The doctrines or characteristics of the Sadducees.
- Pharisee (noun): A member of the contemporaneous Jewish sect often contrasted with the Sadducees due to their acceptance of oral law and belief in resurrection.
- None that are exact. The term refers to a specific historical group. Descriptive phrases include "Temple aristocrat" or "priestly elite" of the period, though these are not synonyms.
- No common idioms directly use the word "Sadducee." It may appear in modern metaphorical use to describe someone who is rigidly conservative or skeptical of non-literal interpretations.
- In the debate, he took the Sadducee position, rejecting any concept not explicitly stated in the original document.
- a member of an ancient Jewish sect around the time of Jesus; opposed to the Pharisees