While under political crises during the rule of the Hasmoneans, issues of what it really meant to be Jewish arose. Discuss how the ancient Jews understood what it meant to be Jewish in terms of how the basic principles of their religion united them and how differences in interpretation of the Law splintered them into a number of sects. Name the fundamental religious beliefs they all shared.

Question

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The Answer is Members of all Jewish sects subscribed to the worship of only one God, the creator of all things. This is the God of Israel, who revealed himself in Hebrew scriptures and promised to protect them in exchange for their devotion and obedience to his laws. All Jews were united by this basic idea and they all utilized the same Torah. The points of dispute centered around issues of how to respond to the rule of a foreign power, the presence of a high priest who was not in the line of Zadok, and what obedience to God's laws amounted to in a practical sense.

While Under Political Crises During the Rule of the Hasmoneans