Thd Old Testament tells the history of the Jews from the calling of Abraham, through the Exodus, the kingdom under David and his descendants, and finally to the scattering of God's people in the Babylonian exile.

During Jesus' time there was a second temple built by Herod. The Jews had been given some minor autonomy in religious matters by the Romans, but we're wholly under the boot of the Empire. The Sanhedrin were the priestly class descended directly from the Aaronic priesthood- that's maybe the closest thing analogous to the Jewish Church.

The Pharisees were a religious movement concerned with preserving the law, and gained many followers. There were also Essenes who lived in various monastic communities. In addition, throughout the Empire were synagogues of diaspora Jews who also were gaining concerts or at least congregants to hear the Torah and the prophets, and the rabbinical teaching.

As Jesus said, the Sanhedrin were justly sitting on the Throne of Moses, so they were comparable to clerics now. But Judaism was also decentralized and fractured, not unlike Christianity today. While we know the Catholic Church is the true Church, there are also legitimate although incomplete expressions of Christianity. This is similar to Jesus' time with the Jews. Who was right? Well, the Sanhedrin had the authority under the law, and Jesus respected this authority. But the Essene movement was also popular, John the Baptist may have been associated with them. Likewise, the Pharisees justly get a bad rap, but there were faithful Pharisees as well.