Did Philo Allude to Sadducees and Pharisees?Although Philo never names Pharisees or Sadducees, his brief post-Essenes contrast in Every Good Man Is Free 88–91 (brutal “beastlike” rulers vs. smooth-talking hypocritical advisors) may be an implicit pre-terminological allusion to Hasmonean-era sectarian alignments later described explicitly by Flavius Josephus. If so, Philo’s diaspora lens could provide an additional early witness to how these movements were already being stereotyped and contested before their names appear in his works.
By Stephen Goranson
Independent Researcher
February 2026
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
