Influencers is a new category of famous individuals. Some have hundreds of thousands following their every word, buying their endorsed products, accepting their messages as truth. Influencers live for your adulation and making their excessive lifestyle possible. The category, as a profession might be new, but influencers also had an important impact on the nation of Israel.

In a population of two to three million, 99% of Israelites were ordinary citizens. Less than 1% had any influence, including about 10,000 Levites that were appointed as God's ministers; another 1,000–2,000 scribes, trained in the intricacies of religious law. Four other religious sects: the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes also influenced religious life.

Category 1: Levites
The Levites were appointed by Yahweh (God) to be responsible for worship and maintaining the Temple and local synagogues. As set forth in the books of Moses, (first five books of our present Bible), the Jewish patriarch, Jacob had twelve sons. When they were freed from Egyptian enslavement, the descendants of Jacob’s son Levi were set aside to lead the worship and maintenance of the Temple.

A small group of the Levites, Aaron’s descendants, were specifically named as priests. It was their joy to oversee all services and sacrifices at both the Temple and local synagogues. The other Levites served in a custodial role, as assistants to the priests.

Category 2: Scribes
Regardless of who ruled the Hebrew people, it was essential that their own monotheistic religious beliefs be practiced. The nation’s guides were the Scribes. Scribes, from the Hebrew word, Soferim, people who write, existed for thousands of years before the birth of Christ. They originally served as the officials for recording the ruler’s messages and kept records of the Israelite people’s history. Within the passing generations, their responsibilities dramatically increased. By the time of Jesus, the Scribes were viewed as the learned and were highly respected within the community. Their decrees (and opinions) were accepted as from God. The work of a scribe can be placed into three distinct categories: copying and preserving texts, drafting legal documents, and serving as interpreter of the Judaic law.

It took years of study at a Rabbinical school to become a Scribe. Besides the ability to write fluently, they became fluent in understanding the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) and the teachings of the prophets. Their work as a student also immersed them in understanding the Halakah, the laws and ordinances developed through the years to govern Jewish observances and daily life.

The Scribes also had the responsibility of copying letter by letter Hebrew writings and Biblical texts. When finished, the entire work was examined. It had to be so exact that the number of words in a text needed to match, along with an exact match of the number of letters. If there were even one error, the entire parchment would be destroyed.

In the New Testament, Scribes are mentioned often as one of the groups questioning the teachings of Jesus. Since there is no evidence that Jesus ever attended a Rabbinical school, the Scribes did not view Jesus as having the proper credentials for expositing the Word of God. Jesus, the Christ, often offered beliefs that ran counter to the teachings of the Scribes. (You have heard it said,….but I say). To the Scribes, Jesus was not only unlearned but also to be opposed for questioning their belief system.

Category 3: Ruling bodies
The Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling governmental body consisted of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Pharisees
The Pharisees, the party of the common people, opposed Roman rule. Consisting of around 6000 members, they prided themselves on strictly following both the written and oral law and strictly observing all Levitical and religious observances. For them, religious practices were to be argued, refined, and then become absolutes in life. While the Temple was still the center for Jewish holy days, the synagogue served as a local center for worship. The Pharisees religiously tithed every aspect of life—goods bought, goods sold, money, and time. Following these dictates became the unspoken religion of the Pharisees.

Jesus, the Christ’s, constantly opposed the Pharisees rigid belief system. Through the years, the oral traditions, such as how to maintain purity in handwashing, in became as important as the original law. Jesus sought to return to the original purpose of commandments, connecting people to Yahweh. Zealously attacking the Pharisees practices made Jesus their enemy.

Sadducees
The Sadducees differed with the Pharisees on four major points. First, the Sadducees were supportive of the Roman government. They collected taxes for the government and served as an intermediary with the Roman rulers. Secondly, the Sadducees consisted primarily of the wealthy members of society. Worship centered around the Temple, with less importance on the local synagogue. Finally, the Mosaic written law was the basis for all religious life. There was no strict following of oral laws, as practiced by the Pharisees. The Sadducees sect numbered less than 2,000.

Two Other Less Mentioned Groups
Zealots
The few hundred members of the Zealot party had only one goal-- overthrow of the Roman empire and the complete expulsion of Romans from Israel. For them, the only ruler and Lord to be followed was Yahweh himself. They were so committed to their cause that a splinter group of Zealots were said to secretly carry daggers to assassinate those friendly to Rome.

One member of the Zealot party, Simon the Zealot, became a known disciple of Jesus the Christ and others believe that the disciple Judas Iscariot was also a member of the Zealot party. While the early appearance of Jesus the Christ might have given Zealots a hope for the future, they came to be disappointed by His nonviolent stance.

Essenes
While not mentioned in the New Testament, the Essenes were a small group living a sheltered life near the Dead Sea. This group separated themselves from society and lived in communities that were governed by their own local officials. All items of the group were owned by the community—property, money, and personal effects. They were known for their allegiance to living a life of austerity. They saw religion as having become corrupt, so participation in the activities of the Temple was forbidden. The Essenes rigorously followed Mosaic Law and practiced strict observance of the Sabbath and religious holidays. There are some scholars that believe that John the Baptist’s parents might have died, and he was then raised by the Essenes community.

Come, Messiah, Come
Each of the major sects longed for the day of the Messiah, but their understanding of how this was to be accomplished differed sharply from the actual life of Christ. The Jewish scribes taught that the Messiah was following the same role as Moses. Just as Moses was raised in the Egyptian world, the Messiah was now living quietly in Rome learning the ways of Israel's enemies. Just as Moses brought about a national restoration of the people, the Messiah would lead to a revolt overpowering the Roman government. The Messiah would restore the corporate nation and punish the Gentiles. His reign would again bring national glory to the nation. The idea of the Messiah coming as a servant was a foreign concept. (Source: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.)

Concluding Thoughts
The religious elite and Christ often butted heads. The teachings of Jesus Christ, focused on an inward personal relationship with the Heavenly Father, rather than external behavior. When Christ spoke out against the lifestyle of the leaders, their authority was questioned. How could this unlearned man, who never attended Rabbinical school, even begin to question them?

The ninety-nine percent of the nation that were the common folks respected the various leaders, particularly the priests. Still, they were ready for a more satisfying spiritual life. The massive crowds recognized Jesus as Yahweh’s gift to them. Influencers might ferociously reject Jesus but to the common people, Jesus was their hope.