Where did you get the latter from?
I really don't have any source for the priests who served in the temple being Sadducees other than the High Priests being Sadducees.
I stand corrected. According to about.com, Josephus identified five major Jewish sects.
Source:
http://judaism.about.com/library/uc/uc_sects_b.htmFrom Josephus, we know of five major sects: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots and Sicarii. Josephus divides those sects into three groups: Philosophical (religious), nationalist, and criminal. Of those listed, according to Josephus, the first three are religious:
For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the Sadducees; and the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called Essenes (Bellum Judaeum [Wars of the Jews] 1 chapter 8.2).
The Zealots and Sicarii, described as political or criminal factions by Josephus, were groups of extreme nationalists. Their religious beliefs were inseparable from their political convictions. This is not to say that the Pharisees and Sadducees were not political. All of the sects of the second temple were political, and religious; there was no separation between the two. The Czeczan rebels in Russia are a good example of a modern group that is inseparably religious and nationalist, much like the Sicarii, or Zealots.
A site that gives a good description of most of these sects is at
http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Jewish_Groups.htm .
Despite their importance during the 1st century in Palestine, very little seems to be known about the Sadducees. Although other sects almost certainly had priests, the Sadducees seemed to be the Temple’s High Priests. I believe that the Sadducees claim that they were descendents of Aaron.
http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=2773
It’s a little unclear to me, but it looks like Zechariah was also a descendent of Aaron. Thus, there would be a possible association with the Sadducees.
As mentioned, other sects besides the Sadducees apparently had priests. Acts 5:34 mentions a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who sounds like he may be have been a priest.
BTW – HypnoToad’s comment about the Sadducees not believing in angels was very good. It does seem a little strange that the Angel Gabriel would appear to Zechariah if he were a Sadducee. However, some scholars believe that John the Baptist (and possibly Jesus) were influenced by the Essenes – so perhaps Zechariah may have been sympathetic to the teachings of the Essenes. To me, the whole thing is confusing and convoluted.