The Sadducees emerged during the Hasmonean dynasty, claiming descent from Zadok, the High Priest under David and Solomon. They consisted of high-ranking priests and nobles. When a dispute arose between John Hyrcanus I and the Pharisees over the High Priesthood, the Sadducees aligned themselves with the king, ousted the Pharisees, and gained power. They held even stronger power during the reigns of two subsequent kings but were temporarily pushed back by the Pharisees who returned to politics during Salome Alexandra's rule.
Salome Alexandra’s sons were Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. The Pharisees supported Hyrcanus II, while the Sadducees backed Aristobulus II, leading to a conflict between the brothers. This event initially concluded with Hyrcanus II becoming High Priest and Aristobulus II becoming king. However, when Antipater, Herod's father, incited Hyrcanus II, the second act of the brothers' war began. Both brothers sought support from Pompey of Rome, ultimately leading to Rome's occupation of Judea.
During King Herod's era, the Sadducees couldn't exert much power. The High Priest, who represented the Sadducees, could be changed at Herod's discretion, and the Sanhedrin was largely ineffective until Rome's direct rule. The Sadducees regained power as key members of the Sanhedrin during Rome's direct rule, resulting in their cooperative stance towards Rome. Their pro-Roman stance was evident when Herod's son Archelaus was expelled and Rome ordered a census. Southern Judea was relatively compliant, unlike the resistant northern Galilee, largely due to High Priest Joazar’s influence.
Many of the Sanhedrin members, including High Priests Caiaphas and Annas, who oversaw Jesus' crucifixion, were Sadducees. While some Pharisees were favorable to Jesus, the Sadducees were staunch opponents. This was inevitable because Jesus' words and actions shook the very foundation of the Sadducees' existence.
The Sadducees accepted only the Torah (Pentateuch) and rejected the traditions of the elders. They acknowledged some authority in the Prophets and Writings, but these were not on the same level as the Torah. They showed a conservative attitude, accepting only theological concepts clearly supported by the Torah. They didn't believe in the immortality of the soul, nor in any afterlife judgment. As a result, the Bible describes them as saying there is no resurrection, angel, or spirit. They were thoroughly reality-centered, rejecting fatalism and attributing all real-world problems to individual responsibility. In other words, they viewed human choices of good or evil as unrelated to God.
While this worldview isn't inherently problematic as human free will is an important aspect of life, the problem was that they left no room for God's will in human life. While claiming to believe in God, they only accepted part of God's word and dismissed other biblical teachings.
For them, another key element was the temple. Many Sadducees were priests, so without the temple, their existence would lose significance. Furthermore, the temple brought in enormous income. Jews paid annual temple taxes. Additional income came from selling sacrificial animals, exchanging coins for temple shekels, and lending money with interest.
Given their beliefs, the Sadducees couldn’t ignore Jesus. His actions, like Lazarus’ resurrection, challenged their theology, and His words about destroying and rebuilding the temple in three days shook their foundation. As a result, they played a decisive role in killing Jesus.
However, it's important not to misunderstand that they lacked faith. They believed in God in their own manner and did their best for Him. They would oppose anything that violated the Torah's laws, even if it meant risking their lives. Their accusation of blasphemy against Jesus stemmed from this mindset. Nonetheless, their judgment was based on only part of God's word and their own thoughts. This led them further away from God’s will, despite their faith in Him.
Some of them also readily compromised with worldly interests because individual judgment was paramount to them. Josephus described them as having some mutual hostility and discord, and said they would adopt Pharisaic practices when appointed as local administrators to gain people's favor.
The Sadducees disappeared completely from history along with the Essenes and Zealots during the large-scale Jewish revolt, and since then, sacrificial offerings through the temple have not been made.
