Question
When did the Sadducees split off from mainstream Judaism? How did they get their name?
Answer
According to Rabbinic tradition, the Sadducees split off from the Pharisees around 200 BCE. Their first leader may have been named Zadok, or they may be named after the Zadok who was high priest in the time of David and Solomon (2 Sam.8:17,15:24; 1 Kings 1:34).