The period between the Old and New Testaments lasted from about 430 B.C. until the time of Jesus. Ancient historian Flavius Josephus tells us that during that period, there were three Jewish "sects" or religious parties - the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. We know quite a bit about the three sects from various ancient sources, including the New Testament, the aforementioned Josephus, Pliny the Elder, and Philo of Alexandria. The story of these three sects is presented in this book against the background of the Maccabean Revolt, the Hasmonean Dynasty and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Robert C. Jones is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church. He has written and taught numerous adult Sunday School courses. He is also the author of books such as "A Brief History of Protestantism in the United States", "A Brief History of the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion", "Heaven and Hell: In the Bible, the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls", "Meet the Apostles: Biblical and Legendary Accounts", "Monks and Monasteries: A Brief History", "Revelation: Background and Commentary", "The 25 Most Influential Books in the Post-Apostolic Christian Church", "The 25 Most Influential People in the Post-Apostolic Christian Church", "The Top 25 Misconceptions About Christianity", "The 25 People Who Most Influenced the Music of Christianity" and "The Crusades and the Inquisition: A Brief History". Robert C. Jones is President of the Kennesaw Historical Society, and Director of Programs and Education for the Kennesaw Museum Foundation. He is also an at-large member of the Civil War Roundtable of Cobb County (Georgia). He has written several books on Civil War and railroad themes, including "Civil War Prison Camps: A Brief History", "Famous Songs of the Civil War", "Retracing the Route of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea", "The Battle of Griswoldville: An Infantry Battle on Sherman's March to the Sea", "The Fifteen Most Critical Moments of the Civil War", "The Reading Railroad: An Illustrated Timeline", "The Pennsylvania Railroad: An Illustrated Timeline", "The Battle of Allatoona Pass: The Forgotten Battle of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign", "The Ten Best - and Worst - Generals of the Civil War", "The Top 10 Innovations of the Civil War", "Bleeding Kansas: The Real Start of the Civil War", "The Top 20 Railroad Songs of All Time", "The Top 25 Civil War Spies and Irregulars", "The Top 20 Most Influential Leaders of the Civil War", "The Top 25 Most Influential Women of the Civil War" and "The W&A, the General, and the Andrews Raid: A Brief History". Robert has also written several books on ghost towns in the Southwest, including "Death Valley Ghost Towns - As They Appear Today", "Ghost Towns of the Mojave National Preserve", "Ghost Towns of Southern Arizona and New Mexico" and "Ghost Towns of Western Nevada". Another Western-themed book, "The Top 10 Gunslingers and Lawmen of the Old West", was published in 2012. In 2005, Robert co-authored a business-oriented book entitled "Working Virtually: The Challenges of Virtual Teams".
