Mark 12:18

How fascinating that in the time of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) ministry, there had arisen a sect of Judaism that did not believe in the resurrection.

Many people, without a comprehensive knowledge of the scriptures, do not realize that resurrection (and eternal life) was a common theme in the Old Testament. One clear example of resurrection was Daniel 12:2: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” It’s not clear why the Sadducees rejected such an essential element of scripture — perhaps they categorically rejected everything that appeared to be supernatural or apocalyptic (they also did not believe in angels). It seems that their approach to scriptures is similar to that of liberal Jews or Christians today: accepting historical accounts, divine laws and “advice” while rejecting anything supernatural or prophetic.

Bible.org provides an excellent study on the Sadducees, revealing that there is little evidence about them other than from what their opponents said about them, that they seem to have appeared as a sect shortly before the time of Yeshua and likely disappeared after the Roman siege of Jerusalem in ~70 AD. It appears to me that their existence has some divine significance, as part of the overwhelming rejection of Yeshua that was foretold, and I can only imagine their astonishment when the tomb of Yeshua was found empty after only 3 days, and everyone in Jerusalem was speaking of the greatest resurrection of all. Maybe the Sadducees disappeared because many of them were convinced of the resurrection in the end?