away, it is apparent that the ideas that the Greeks introduced into Jewish culture have created a major split in the religion. When the violence of the war had subsided, the moderate Hellenizers ruled for a short time, until the Roman empire attacked and threw even more kinks into the Jewish society. When the Romans took over, the Hasmonean kings were left in place as 'puppet kings,' which ultimately forced the general population to question its governing body (The learning Network Inc. 2). When the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, it was made painfully clear that some changes were going to be made. Most obvious, the priests suddenly had no major role in the religion. Their primary purpose had been to tend to the sacrificing of animals, and since it is illegal to sacrifice an animal outside the temple, the priests were in an unsettling position. As can be seen in countless other examples, politics and religion are invariably tied, and people began practicing their own flavors of Judaism after their civilization had been so radically altered. At this point in history there is really no solid rule to prevent such splits, and for a time a mixed form of Judaism with many varieties flourished (Falgin 3). No one was sure what to do once the heart of Judaism, the temple had been destroyed, but it soon became apparent that an appealing option was arising. Two major social groups of the time period were struggling for power. The first group, the Saducees, were associated with the displaced Hasmonean kings. The second group, the Pharisees, had an idea that would help work around the tragic destruction of the temple. People were split, once again. They could stay with the conservatively traditional Saducees, who had the political power, believed in only written Torah, and did not subscribe to resurrection, or they could side with the newcomers, the Pharisees, who had religious power, believed in both the written and the oral Torah, and be...
