Josephus describes the three Jewish 'sects' of his day, including the Sadducees' denial that the soul survives death, the very groups and the very dispute that fill the Gospels and Acts.
Josephus on the New Testament world
Josephus on the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes
Antiquities of the Jews
The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essens, and the sect of the Sadducees, and the third sort of opinions was that of those called Pharisees; of which sects, although I have already spoken in the second book of the Jewish War, yet will I a little touch upon them now.
William Whiston's 1737 translation (Public Domain, Project Gutenberg #2848)
But the doctrine of the Sadducees is this: That souls die with the bodies; nor do they regard the observation of any thing besides what the law enjoins them; for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent: but this doctrine is received but by a few, yet by those still of the greatest dignity. But they are able to do almost nothing of themselves; for when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them.
William Whiston's 1737 translation (Public Domain, Project Gutenberg #2848)
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- undefined 23:8bsb
For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
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