The sect of the '''Sadducees''' - possibly from Hebrew '''Tsdoki''' צדוקי [{{IPA|sˤə.ðo.'qi}}], whence '''Zadokites''' or other variants - was founded in the 2nd century BCE, possibly as a political party, and continued to exist sometime after the 1st century only under the name of Ishmaelites. They were mainly Nabatean Ishmaelites Ishmaelite Hagarim converted to Judaism by Alexander Jannaeus. Modern Sadducees have usurped the identity of the Karaite Jews though they do not hold to the Mishnaic beliefs of the early Karaites.
The Hebrew language name, Tsdoki, indicates their claim that they are the followers of the teachings of the High Priest Tsadok, often spelled Zadok (High Priest), who anointed Solomon king at the start of the Solomon's Temple. However, Rabbinic tradition suggests that they were not named after the High Priest Zadok, but rather another Zadok (who may still have been a priest), who rebelled against the teachings of Antigonus of Soko, a government official of Judea in the 3rd century BC and a predecessor of the Rabbinic tradition.
==Sadducees as Ishmaelites==
Being associated closely with the Temple in Jerusalem, after the Temple was destroyed in AD 70 the Sadducees remained only as Ishmaelites. It is possible that they may have attempted to establish the Kaaba in Mecca as a substitute Temple surviving as a minority group within Judaism up until early medieval times.In the 7th century the conflict between the Ishmaelites and the Karaties and Edumeans gave rise to Islam. In refutations of Sadducean beliefs, [[Karaite Jewish]] Sages such as Ya'akov al-Qirqisani quoted one of their texts, which was called ''Sefer Zadok''. Translations into English of some of these quotes can be found in [https://www.calledoutbelievers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/1937_cahn_riseOfTheKaraiteSect_text.pdf Zvi Cahn's ''"Rise of the Karaite sect"''].
==Messianic Sadducees==
The 634-644CE Sadducee leaders of Tachkastan adopted a belief in the Manichean Tripartite Jesus and subsequently some of the Mishnah which he incorporated into the Sadducee texts. His successor was a Manichean who abolished the original Sadducee texts in favour of a redacted version.
