Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes
MATTHEW 22:23; ACTS 23:6-8 · WAR 2.8.2-14; ANT. 18.1.2-6
Josephus, a Pharisee by training, gives the fullest ancient description of the three sects: the Pharisees who held to tradition and the resurrection, the Sadducees who denied the resurrection and the afterlife, and the Essenes who withdrew into communities. Acts 23:6-8 turns on exactly the Pharisee-Sadducee division over resurrection that Josephus describes, and Matthew 22:23 assumes it.
KING JAMES VERSION
23On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,
23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.
23On that day came to him Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they demanded of him,
23The same day the Sadduces came to him (which say that there is no resurrection) and asked him,
23The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
23On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,
23In that day there came near to him Sadducees, who are saying there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying,
6But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees: touching the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
6But Paul, knowing that the one part [of them] were of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: I am judged concerning the hope and resurrection of [the] dead.
6But when Paul perceiued that the one part were of the Sadduces, and the other of the Pharises, hee cried in the Council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharise, the sonne of a Pharise: I am accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead.
6But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
6But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
6and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, `Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee--son of a Pharisee--concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'
7And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
7As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
7And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.
7And when hee had saide this, there was a dissension betweene the Pharises and the Sadduces, so that the multitude was deuided.
7And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
7When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.
7And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,
8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
8For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
8For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them.
8For the Sadduces say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel, nor spirit: but the Pharises confesse both.
8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
8for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.
JOSEPHUS
War 2.8.2-14; Ant. 18.1.2-6 is a range rather than a single section, so it is linked rather than reproduced here.
The Works of Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston (1737). Public domain. Text prepared from the Project Gutenberg transcriptions, ebooks 2848, 2850, 2849 and 2846.