Studies 1 to 5
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INF002
The Pharisees
The Pharisees, who appeared after the Maccabean revolt (165 BC), were an influential religious group of ancient Judaism. Devoted to the written and oral Torah, they believed in the resurrection and remained close to the people. Often in conflict with Jesus in the Gospels, they nevertheless produced figures such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Their teachings founded rabbinic Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.
Philippians 3.5 (King James Version) :Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org -
INF003
The Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was the highest religious, judicial, and legislative authority of Second Temple Judaism (2nd century BC – AD 70). Made up of 71 members and sitting in Jerusalem, it interpreted the Torah, settled major disputes, and oversaw the Hebrew calendar. Mentioned in the Gospels and described by rabbinic literature, it disappears after AD 70, but its model continues to inspire Jewish organization and legal thought.
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INF030
The Synod of Jamnia
The Synod of Jamnia (Yavneh), held toward the end of the 1st century AD, marks a major turning point in the history of Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, the rabbis gathered under the leadership of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai to reorganize Judaism, debate the Hebrew biblical canon and make crucial liturgical decisions, laying the foundations of rabbinic Judaism centered on the Torah, prayer and the synagogue.
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INF064
The Qumran Region
Qumran, located on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank, is a major archaeological site founded between 134 and 104 BC under John Hyrcanus. Associated with the Essenes, it is best known for the discovery in 1947 of the Dead Sea Scrolls in its caves. The excavations of Roland de Vaux revealed cisterns, ritual baths and communal rooms. The site was destroyed by the Romans in AD 68 during the First Jewish–Roman War.
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INF065
The Essenes
The Essenes were an ascetic Jewish sect of the 2nd century BC, known for their strict communal life, ritual purity and devotion to the Scriptures. Associated with the site of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947, they disappeared after the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, leaving a major textual and spiritual legacy for understanding ancient Judaism and the origins of Christianity.