In legal and religious matters deciphering the meaning of words can certainly prove to be a burdensome task Yet this specialty has typically been given exalted status and those who engage in the work have at various times been referred to as the chosen disciples of the one true God But with this in mind it should be acknowledged that reading the minds and words of ordinary people can undoubtedly be a complex endeavor And proclaiming to read the mind of the God of heaven would under any circumstances be an astonishing claim So it should not necessarily be unsettling when lawyers and high priests begin to quibble and niggle as they unravel the content and intent of an ancient rabbinical text In Judea and Israel for example the elite people of the society often engaged in such a debate when they began to declare the true revelation of God to their ardent followers But when interpreting the word of God let us ask ourselves what methods of inquiry should they have been compelled to use? In regard to this issue in the Second Temple period a serious conflict did emerge The Pharisees claimed prophetic or Mosaic authority over the legitimacy of their belief as they spoke with their disciples about all matters pertaining to the revelation of their God In defense of their conclusions they cited oral and written arguments to defend their formidable position The Sadducees however a wealthy and highly educated class of people used priestly privilege as they conveyed their message to the devout members of their clan But in all matters of hermeneutical dispute whether internal or external they relied upon the supremacy of the written word Yet this did not necessarily resolve the matter altogether Because sophisticated people often came to the conclusion that language is rarely an easy subject to understand Historical and social context must be taken into consideration And it should be understood that words and statements can be literal, nuanced and metaphorical as they float across the sacred paper of the holy parchment page In some instances the words can even be non-sensical especially if a person is confused or has a reason to take a divergent path or evade an important matter that might not be apparent even in the bright light of day But clearly the issue would never be taken lightly And in this particular case a civil war almost did emerge Yet the Pharisees relied upon whatever form of reason that they were able to foster and employ Eventually a formalized method of interpretation was fully developed to provide the followers of Rabbinical Judaism with a means to integrate the oral and written tradition that had been passed by Moses to the chosen people, especially when segments of the Bible were unclear.