### Differences Between Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes
- **Pharisees**:
- **Beliefs**: Believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits and angels, and an oral tradition alongside the written Torah.
- **Social Class**: Common people, often rabbis and teachers.
- **Attitude to Jesus**: Generally critical, often confronting Jesus over his interpretations of the law and his disregard for their traditions[1][2][3].
- **Sadducees**:
- **Beliefs**: Denied the resurrection, afterlife, and existence of spirits and angels. Focused on the literal interpretation of the Torah.
- **Social Class**: Priests and aristocrats, politically influential.
- **Attitude to Jesus**: Opposed Jesus, particularly because he challenged their authority and the Temple's centrality[1][2][3].
- **Essenes**:
- **Beliefs**: Lived monastic lives, adhered to strict purity laws, and awaited a messianic figure. Rejected the Temple establishment.
- **Social Class**: Lived in isolated communities, like Qumran.
- **Attitude to Jesus**: No direct interaction recorded, but their emphasis on purity and messianic expectations aligned with some of Jesus' teachings[3][4].
Sources
[1] Pharisees & Sadducees | Definition, Beliefs & Differences - Study.com https://study.com/academy/lesson/early-critics-of-christ-pharisees-and-sadducees.html
[2] “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to (Jesus)…” Matthew 16:1 ... https://exploringchristianityforall.com/2019/02/08/the-pharisees-and-sadducees-came-to-jesus-matthew-161-pharisees-sadducees-essenes/
[3] Ancient Jewish History: Pharisees, Sadducees & Essenes https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/pharisees-sadducees-and-essenes
[4] Zealots, Essenes, Pharisees, and Sadducees - Dave Barnhart https://davebarnhart.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/zealots-essenes-pharisees-and-sadducees/
[5] of the pharisees, - sadducees and essenes - jstor https://www.jstor.org/stable/24606828