a much wider sense later on. A Boethus, son of Zonim, and nearly contemporaneous with Akiva (compare Yer. l.c. 10b), is mentioned in the Mishnah (B. M. v. 3); he was not, however, a Boethusian, but a pious merchant. An amora, c. 300 CE, was also called "Boethus". Relationship to other groups A parallel to the Yoma 19b has "Sadducees" instead of "Boethusians"; and in other passages the Talmud undoubtedly uses these two terms indifferently in designating the same sect. Graetz's assumption, therefore, that the Sadducees were the political and the Boethusians the religious opponents of the Pharisees, is untenable. Some scholars have identified the Boethusians with the Essenes, the sect that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some of the scrolls express views similar to those attributed to the Boethusians by the Talmud. According to this theory, the word "Boethusian" is a corruption of "Beit Essaya", meaning "House of Essenes". A high-priestly family The Boethusians are believed to have been associated with the members of the high-priestly family of Boethus. The family of Boethus produced the following high priests: Simon son of Boethus Simon, son of Boethus from Alexandria, was made a high priest about 25 BCE by Herod the Great, in order that his marriage with Boethus's daughter, Mariamne, might not be regarded as a mésalliance, a marriage with a person thought to be unsuitable or of a lower social position. Joazar, son of Boethus (4 BCE and before 6 CE), unpopular and an advocate of compliance with the Census of Quirinius Eleazar, son of Boethus (4-3 BCE) independently attested in the Mandaean Book of John. Simon Cantheras, son of Boethus (41-42 CE) Elioneus, son of Simon Cantheras Joshua ben Gamla (64 CE), whose wife Martha belonged to the house The hatred of the Pharisees toward this high-priestly family is shown by the words of the tanna Abba Saul b. Baṭnit, who lived about the year 40 CE at Jerusalem. It must be especially noticed that "the house of Boethus" heads the list of the wicked and sinful priestly families enumerated by Abba. References Bibliography Eduard Baneth, "Ueber den Ursprung der Sadokäer und Boethus." Berliner-Hoffmann, Magazin, ix.1-37, 61-95 (also printed separately, Dessau, 1882); Geiger, Urschrift, 1857, pp. 105 et seq.; Heinrich Grätz, Gesch. der Juden, iii.89, 223, 4th ed.; Emil Schürer, Gesch. ii.217-218, 409–419. External links Who Were the Boethusians? Who Were the Boethusians? II Jews and Judaism in