This gave a special sharpness and vnutriiudeyskim disputes, which involved representatives of religious and political movements-numerous in the Jewish society of the first century. Disputes were very fierce, because each group considered their views as the absolute truth, and others-as the greatest sin, a compromise with which is impossible. It came to the point that in some cases it was considered a desecration to have any contact with a person who held other theological views.

The interests of the top of the Jewish priesthood were expressed by the Sadducees, from among whom came the high priests who headed the Jewish religious community. They recognized only the written sacred books and the law established by them, denied its oral interpretation, posthumous retribution and immortality of the soul, advocated free will, and in political terms-for cooperation with the Roman authorities. The Pharisees (“perushim” – separate, isolated) were a broader social movement. They sought to adapt the written laws to the new conditions and therefore attached great importance to oral teaching, believed in the resurrection of the soul and posthumous retribution. The Pharisees were sure of the coming of the last times, when the Messiah would appear and save the people, after which the world would reign eternal Paradise. In order to hasten his coming, the whole people must be freed from their sins and firmly observe all the commandments given by God, in particular ritual purity, keeping the Sabbath and not communicating with non-Jews, including the Roman authorities. With real Roman power they were ready to be reconciled, as long as the Romans did not interfere in the religious life of Judea, did not force the Jews to break the commandments, did not force them to recognize their gods and the cult of the Emperor.

However, some of the Pharisees took more radical positions. They went down in history under the Greek name “zealots — – “zealots”. The zealots were not only for the preservation of religious autonomy and religious purity, but also for the political liberation of Israel from the power of Caesar, ” eating pork.” They believed that freedom was more important than life, that no one could be called master but God, that any submission to Roman power in any form, including participation in the payment of taxes, was in itself an unpardonable sin. The zealots claimed that the last days had come, that the Messiah was about to appear (and some believed themselves to be so), that the people must rise to Holy war with the hated Rome. Rome, its soldiers and officials, its rulers and tax collectors really hated the vast majority of the population, so it vividly perceived the agitation of the zealots.