Feb. 2, 2003
Jewish Sects of the Second Temple Period
By David Steinberg
home page http://www.houseofdavid.ca/
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Dead Sea Sect (probably = Essenes) |
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Holy site Jerusalem |
Holy site Jerusalem |
Holy site Jerusalem |
Holy site Mt. Girizim |
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Law expands to cover every possible situation through the Oral Law considered given by God on Sinai |
Carry out the Law of the Torah and what’s not covered by the written law is personal or group choice. No Oral Law from Sinai. |
Everything not in the written law covered by the rules of the group. No Oral Law from Sinai. |
Carry out the Law of the Torah and what’s not covered by the written law is personal or group choice. No Oral Law from Sinai. |
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Resurrection and Judgement Day, Messiah and World to Come |
None known |
Neither mention nor denial in sectarian writings[ii] |
These doctrines accepted by Samaritans after 200 CE |
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Fulfilling the Commandments was most important – no creedal statement |
Cultic correctness was probably of more importance than fulfilling the Commandments. Unknown if they had creedal statement. |
Cultic correctness of most importance |
Cultic correctness of most importance. Statement and belief in creed more important than fulfilling the Commandments. |
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Rabbinate of key importance – and aristocracy of knowledge. Priests are vestigial. |
Priests provide leadership |
Priests provide leadership though at end of days would be role for a Messiah of Israel who may be of the line of David |
Priests provide leadership |
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Accepted the Prophets and Writings (Hebrew Bible beyond Deuteronomy) as canonical |
Probably gave a lesser status to the Prophets and Writings |
Accepted the Prophets and Writings (Hebrew Bible beyond Deuteronomy) as holy |
Accepted only the Torah |
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Current Jewish calendar |
? |
Solar calendar and perhaps others |
Sectarian calendar[iii] |
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Count omer from second day of Passover |
Count omer from Sabbath after first day of Passover |
Count omer from Sabbath after first day of Passover |
Count omer from Sabbath after first day of Passover |
In later centuries, a Samaritan sect, the Dosethians, arose that showed a number of parallels to the Pharisees. See Sects and Movements by J Fossum in The Samaritans, Alan D. Crown,ed. Tübingen : J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1989. 865 p.
In the 8th century CE the Karaites split off from Rabbinic Judaism largely rejecting rabbinic tradition and mainly taking a literal approach to interpreting the Hebrew Bible. This led to many parallels with the Samaritans and a considerable use by the Samaritans of karaite literature and even acceptance of some Karaite halakhic views.