A CAPSULE HISTORY of Second Temple Judaism: Rabbi Dennis Sasso provides a good summary in Exploring the Judaism of Jesus' time (Indystar.com). Naturally, I want to quibble about this or that, but I'll restrain myself this time. Excerpt:

What do we learn from these early centuries? We learn about the persistence of diversity. There were multiple expressions of Judaism during the Second Temple Period, as there was diversity within early Christianity. Both, like all vibrant, living traditions, continued to be diverse through history. As we seek dialogue with others within our own faith tradition, so must we seek understanding across faith traditions.

We can affirm one another while remaining faithful to our own heritage, recognizing that even as Christians walk in the footsteps of Jesus, Jews walk in the pathways of Torah. Only integrity and respect can pave the way to a time when the teachings that flowered 2,000 years ago will bring healing, harmony and hope to a world that yet yearns for redemption.