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orion-list Evolution of the Sadducees and Pharisees? - RE: 4Q448
I am wondering if some might resist suggestions about the links
of the Sadduccees with the Essene/DSS community because of
common views about the Sadducees expressed in the New
Testament.
In the New Testament we get the "disctinct image" (as opposed, perhaps
to a "clear picture" which would suggest "reality") that the Pharisees
opposed the Sadduccees, and both the Pharisees and the Sadducees
opposed everyone. And it certainly is more convenient to think these
tendencies reflect all time periods (what I call the "unitary
viewpoint").
But when one reads Josephus, you hear about Herod wiping out the
Sanhedrin and installing NEW priests of the Sadducees, including
the Egyptian Boethius who is so WELL identified with the New Testament's
view of Sadducees that it makes one wonder why was he arguing so
strenuously IF the Sadducees were ALREADY following these views?
And then, a slghtly differenet time, there is a partnership between an
Essene
and a Pharisee to resist authorities. And this alliance, and presumably
the
major players making the alliance possible, are smashed as well. After
this time, there seems to be LITTLE in agreement between the Essenes
and the Pharisees.
So I'm wondering what kind of academic treatment there might be on the
EVOLUTION of the Sadducees and the Pharisees from groups that
USED to be strongly affiliated with the Hasidim/Maccabee matrix, to
groups
that (while keeping the same organizational names that the New Testament
and Josephus would later use) have very little in common with the
interests
of the Essene/DSS/"Doers of Torah"/"Doers of War" matrix? Certainly
war, mass executions, and the fear of further reprisals would go a long
way
to change the complexion of each group, and it would certainly provide
more
"DEPTH" to the analysis of what tends to be a FLAT treatment of the
history
of these groups.
Courtesy of Josephus, we seem to have LOTS of hints and clues about the
gradual shifts of sects/groups that all came out of the victorious
Maccabeean
"stew" at one time or another. And yet by the New Testament times this
stew
has separated out into completely new and conflicting alliances.
I can see how your particular views on the Sadducees and 4Q448 would fit
such a model. Or perhaps you have reasons to think this model fits no
one's
views? Looking forward to input from all over Orion.
George Brooks
Tampa, FL
George.X.Brooks@JUNO.com
For private reply, e-mail to George Brooks <george.x.brooks@juno.com>
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