Dr. Helen Bond

Certainly not.

I mean, maybe under the Hasmoneans way back when they do seem to have some level of power.

And I think they can influence the Hasmonean ruler.

And so that's where they're really...

getting their way.

Once you get into the sort of Herodian and Roman period, then the guy in charge is the guy in charge.

He's going to have a council of advisors, certainly under Roman rule at the time of Jesus, the high priest is going to

summon his advisors, the other sort of priestly Sadducean people, sort of because they're sort of temple priests.

But he might invite one or two Pharisees.

One big question at this point is whether there was a fixed Jerusalem council.

An older view is that it was.

And people get some sort of evidence for that in the Book of Acts, where Paul is actually being tried before this council.

And in that story, it's made up of Pharisees and Sadducees.

And so he puts them both at loggerheads by saying, it's because I believe in the resurrection that I've been brought here.

And so, of course, I mean, it all sounds very Monty Python.

Instead of being sort of against him, suddenly they all start to fight each other.

But people nowadays think probably there was no fixed council.

like that, where, you know, you have leading Pharisees, you have leading Sadducees, and they're all sort of debating and coming up with sort of policy.

This is a period where it's strong men making the decisions, and they might have a council of advisors now and then, but largely they're doing their own thing.

Yes, yes.