Pharisees and the Sadducees An Examination of Internal Jewish History

The influence of Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918) as Orientalist & biblical historian & critic is legendary. Wellhausen's sweeping knowledge of Eastern languages enabled his exhaustive studies of the history of Israel & of biblical literature. He is famed for his analysis of Old Testament texts, especially of course for his perceptive synthesis of the work of earlier critics & his development of the Documentary Hypothesis with which his name is synonymous. In Pharisees & Sadducees Wellhausen turned his attention to Jews at the turn of the era. In this little volume--which he termed an "essay"--Wellhausen provides a firm foundation for understanding Judaism's influential Pharisees & Sadducees & a keen analysis of their importance in the context of the beginnings of Christianity. This little book is a masterpiece of interpretation & representation, offering insight into inner Jewish history from the first century BCE to the end of the first century CE. Wellhausen's "essay" should be classed among the great works of theological investigation. Even today it retains its significance as a milestone in biblical studies. Now, as number 4 in the Mercer Library of Biblical Studies, this landmark in biblical studies is available to scholars for the first time in English.Wellhausen, Julius is the author of 'Pharisees and the Sadducees An Examination of Internal Jewish History' with ISBN 9780865547292 and ISBN 0865547297.