The Sadducees in Acts 5.17
The text of Acts 5.17 mentions that “the high priest and all , that is, the party of the , rose up, filled with jealousy.”
Who were the Sadducees?
Origin of the name: Probably derived from Tsadoq (Zadok), the high priest under David and Solomon, whose descendants formed the priestly aristocracy.
Social composition :
- The priestly elite of the Temple in Jerusalem
- Aristocratic and wealthy families
- The ruling class collaborating with the occupier
Distinctive beliefs :
- Accepted only the written (the ), rejecting the oral traditions of the
- Denied the resurrection of the dead — which explains their particular hostility toward the apostles who were preaching the resurrection of Jesus
- Believed neither in angels nor in spirits (Acts 23.8)
- Insisted on human free will
Why did they oppose the apostles?
Their hostility in Acts 5 is explained by several factors:
- Doctrinal threat: The preaching of the resurrection directly contradicted their theology
- Political threat: The apostles’ popular success risked provoking a Roman reaction
- Jealousy: The text says so explicitly — the crowds were turning toward the apostles
- Control of the Temple: The apostles were teaching in their “territory”
Their disappearance
The disappeared after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, their power being entirely tied to the Temple institution. The rabbinic Judaism that survived stems from the Pharisaic tradition.