Josephus and the Theologies of Ancient Judaism, Klawans Jonathan

Many scholars today argue that ancient Jewish sectarian disputes revolved primarily or even exclusively around matters of ritual law, such as calendar, cultic practices, or priestly succession. Josephus, however, indicates that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes disagreed about matters of
theology, such as afterlife and determinism. Similarly, many scholars today argue that ancient Judaism was thrust into a theological crisis in the wake of the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE, yet Josephuss works indicate that Jews were readily able to make sense of the catastrophe in
light of biblical precedents and contemporary beliefs.