Page 30 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

28 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

culture, particularly Herod Antipas' court, as well as the great
palaces and some quarters of the town, were under Hellenistic in-
fluence. The religion-based traditions of those Jews who spoke
Aramaic were far removed from Hellenistic culture.
As mentioned earlier, the Romans traditionally did not inter-
fere with the Jews' religious affairs. But not all Roman governors
adhered to this principle. Pontius Pilate in particular, the procura-
tor at the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) time, was one of them. His govern-
ment (26-36 ce) was tainted by tyranny and cruelty, both of which
eventually caused him to be removed from office.

Jewish Sects at the Time of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)

Another problem that the Jews had to face was internal sec-
tarian strife. Until the second century bce, such strife was unheard
of. However, in the last century before the Prophet Jesus (pbuh),
the Jewish people became fragmented and many different views
on the essence and true meaning of Judaism emerged. Besides the
books of the Torah and the different interpretations of religious
rules, political factors and Rome played an important part in this
developing sectarianism. Looking at the records of that time, espe-
cially those of the famous Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, it can
be said that many schools of thought developed among the Jewish
people.
Four schools of thought became particularly prominent. One
of these was the Sadducees, who were allied with the Roman gov-
ernment, gradually became the ruling class with Rome's support,
and enjoyed great wealth. This school of thought became domi-
nant among the wealthy Jews and was comparable to a political
party. Their religious rules were derived from the first five books