Which group rejected belief in resurrection and adhered to the written Torah?

Which group rejected belief in resurrection and adhered to the written Torah?

• A. Sadducees
• B. Pharisees
• C. Scribes
• D. Priests

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is the difference in beliefs about resurrection and the sources of authority. The Sadducees held to the written Torah alone and rejected the Oral Law, which included beliefs in resurrection and angels. They were closely tied to the Jerusalem priesthood and emphasized the five books of Moses as authoritative, while denying later rabbinic developments. In contrast, the Pharisees accepted both written and oral traditions and they believed in resurrection and the afterlife, aligning with a broader interpretive tradition. Scribes were experts who copied and interpreted the law, but their beliefs varied and they aren’t defined by a stance on resurrection in the way the Sadducees are. The term priests refers to a priestly class, many of whom were Sadducees, but it’s a role rather than a belief system. So, the group described by the trait of rejecting resurrection and adhering to the written Torah is the Sadducees.

The key idea here is the difference in beliefs about resurrection and the sources of authority. The Sadducees held to the written Torah alone and rejected the Oral Law, which included beliefs in resurrection and angels. They were closely tied to the Jerusalem priesthood and emphasized the five books of Moses as authoritative, while denying later rabbinic developments.

In contrast, the Pharisees accepted both written and oral traditions and they believed in resurrection and the afterlife, aligning with a broader interpretive tradition. Scribes were experts who copied and interpreted the law, but their beliefs varied and they aren’t defined by a stance on resurrection in the way the Sadducees are. The term priests refers to a priestly class, many of whom were Sadducees, but it’s a role rather than a belief system.

So, the group described by the trait of rejecting resurrection and adhering to the written Torah is the Sadducees.