Three Sects In Judea

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In the first century CE there were various types of Judaism. For the purposes of constraining the longevity of this essay I will focus on the common beliefs and practices in only three sects of Judaism present in the first century CE: the Essenes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. This exploration into the commonalities amongst the different forms of Judaism is intriguing as they are often overlooked; more commonly the differences among the sects are analysed. For this reason, I believe investigating the beliefs and practices the three forms of Judaism have in common will make the exploration of the essay question very interesting. This investigation into the beliefs and practices common throughout the sects is important in pinpointing the core aspects …show more content…
The majority of the first century CE is often referred to as the Second Temple period, which came to an end with the Roman’s destruction of the second temple in 70 CE. The first century CE is also significant in a historical context as it saw the rise in tension and subsequent conflict between the Romans and Jews in Judea. The first Jewish revolt occurred in 66 CE, known as either the ‘Great Revolt’ or the ‘First Revolt’. The conflict arose 'as a result of [the Romans’] mistakes, ethnic strife in the country between Jews and pagans, social unrest in the Jewish polity, and severe economic problems.’ This revolt lead to the destruction of the second temple and, as already mentioned, the end of the Second Temple period in 70 CE. The first century CE is also noteworthy for being the age of Jesus’s activity, majority of which occurred in the early 30s of the first century CE. The activity of Jesus sparked the creation of a new religion known as Christianity, which grew out of Judaism, but differed through the belief in the messianic properties of Jesus. The first century CE was also the time in which Josephus, a Roman-Jewish historian, wrote a series of seven books entitled ‘The Jewish War’. The books, published in 75 CE, along with one of his other historical works, Jewish Antiquities which was published in 93 or 94 CE, gave an insight into the various forms of Judaism in the first century CE as well as the factors that lead to the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66