The Pharisees were a Jewish sect that was active in Judea during the time of Jesus. The name “Pharisee” comes from the Hebrew word parushim, which means “separated ones.” This refers to their desire to strictly observe and interpret the Mosaic Law.
The origins of the Pharisees are unclear, but they likely emerged as a distinct group sometime between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century BC. They advocated strict adherence to the laws of ritual purity as spelled out in the Torah, as well adherence to the “oral law,” extra-biblical traditions and interpretations that were passed down over generations. The Pharisees believed that by scrupulously following these traditions, they could maintain the unique religious and ethnic identity of the Jewish people.
The Pharisees were one of several Jewish sects active in 1st century Judea, along with the Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. Of these groups, the Pharisees were the most numerous and influential. They were centered in Jerusalem and had communities throughout Judea and Galilee. The Jewish historian Josephus estimated there were around 6,000 Pharisees in the 1st century AD.
The Pharisees had a significant influence over the general population because of their reputation for religious piety and expertise in the Law. They acted as teachers, interpreters of the Torah, and promoters of the oral traditions. Local synagogues were often aligned with the Pharisees, giving them a venue to instruct the common people.
Unlike the Sadducees, who were drawn from priestly and aristocratic families, the Pharisees came from more modest backgrounds such as craftsmen or farmers. They believed spiritual purity was not dependent on one’s ancestry or social status. This gave them a strong appeal with the masses.
When it came to theology, the Pharisees believed in concepts like the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the idea of divine providence ordering the world. They also looked forward to the arrival of the Messiah. The later Rabbinic Judaism that emerged after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD was directly descended from the theological outlook and practices of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees tended to be very conservative and stubbornly resistant to changes in religious practice or political accommodations with the Romans who ruled Judea. They took a hard line against any dilution of Jewish laws and identity. They advocated complete national independence and objected to Roman taxation.
The Pharisees clashed frequently with Jesus during his ministry. In the Gospels, Jesus criticizes them for being self-righteous, excessively legalistic, and misusing religious authority:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Matthew 23:1-3 ESV)
“So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (Matthew 15:6-9 ESV)
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for being overly concerned with minor points of interpretation while neglecting more important spiritual principles like justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). He accused them of using the Law to burden people down rather than lift them up.
The Pharisees, for their part, objected to Jesus’ claims of divinity and messiahship. They were disturbed by his unorthodox practices, lax attitude toward ritual laws, association with “sinners” like prostitutes and tax collectors, and his challenges to their religious authority. As a result, the Pharisees arranged to have Jesus arrested and played a leading role in bringing about his crucifixion.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the influence of the Sadducees declined precipitously while the Pharisees were strengthened. With the Temple gone, the Pharisees’ synagogue-based form of Judaism positioned itself to become the dominant expression of Jewish identity and faith. The ultimate triumph of the Pharisaic vision is reflected in the Mishnah and Talmud, monumental works of Rabbinic literature compiled in the centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So in summary, the Pharisees were a sect of Jewish scholars and leaders who were active in Judea from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. They sought to preserve Jewish identity and faith through scrupulous observance of the Law of Moses and adherence to oral traditions. This put them at odds with Jesus, who criticized the Pharisees for rigid legalism, hypocrisy and misuse of religious authority. Nevertheless, the theological and ritual practices of the Pharisees lived on and shaped Rabbinic Judaism after the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD.
Distinctive Traits of the Pharisees
The Pharisees had several distinctive traits that set them apart from other Jewish sects of their era:
- Emphasis on ritual purity and adherence to both written and oral Law
- Belief in concepts like resurrection, angels, and providence
- Mostly from ordinary backgrounds like craftsmen
- Very influential among the common people
- Based their authority on Torah knowledge rather than priestly lineage
- Synagogue was center of religious practice, not the Temple
- Interpreted the Law conservatively and resisted outside influences
- Looking forward to the arrival of the Messiah
These traits allowed the Pharisees to gain broad popularity among the masses while also coming into conflict with outsider figures like Jesus or the Romans.
History and Origins
The exact origins of the Pharisees are uncertain, but they emerged as a distinct movement sometime between the 2nd century BC and 1st century BC. They grew out of the group known as the Hasidim, which opposed the Hellenization of Judea under the Seleucids. When the Seleucids defiled the Temple in 167 BC, the Hasidim supported the Maccabean revolt. After Judea’s independence was restored, the Hasidim gradually developed into what would become known as the Pharisees. They sought to keep alive the distinctive faith and traditions of the Jewish people in a way that was more rigorous than the approach of the priests and aristocrats.
Beliefs and Practices
The Pharisees believed that the entire Jewish nation was obligated to observe the purity laws spelled out in the Torah, not just priests. They expanded on these laws through the oral tradition, which specified extra rules and rituals concerning things like tithes, observance of the Sabbath, dietary restrictions, and ritual cleanliness. By scrupulously following these traditions, the Pharisees believed the common people could achieve a priest-like state of purity.
In contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees also believed in concepts like the resurrection of the dead, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of angels and spirits (Acts 23:8). Another key distinction is that the Pharisees looked to the synagogue as their religious center rather than the Temple. The synagogue was where they studied Scripture, worshipped, and instructed the people through teaching and preaching.
The Pharisees upheld the inspiration of not just the written Torah but also the “oral Torah,” an accumulated set of interpretations and applications that was passed down over generations. After the destruction of the Temple, these oral traditions were codified in the Mishnah and Talmud and became the basis for Rabbinic Judaism.
In terms of their worldview, the Pharisees believed that God actively intervened in history and providentially ordered the world. They also looked forward to the arrival of the Messiah who would usher in God’s kingdom on earth. Unlike other Jewish sects, the Pharisees believed the coming of the Messiah depended on the moral and spiritual condition of the Jewish nation as a whole.
Influence and Popularity
The Pharisees wielded significant social and religious influence during the time of Christ because of their reputation for piety, discipline, and Torah knowledge. The Jewish historian Josephus estimated there were around 6,000 Pharisees in the 1st century AD. He noted they were extremely influential and respected by the masses:
“What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. And concerning these things it is that great disputes and differences have arisen among them” (Antiquities of the Jews 13.10.6).
Because the Pharisees were skilled interpreters and teachers of the Torah, they gained authority and respect among the common people. By contrast, the Sadducees were drawn mainly from aristocratic priestly families and had little connection with the masses.
Local synagogues were often closely aligned with the Pharisees, giving them a venue to promote their vision of scrupulous legal observance. The synagogues hosted daily liturgies, readings from Scripture, and sermons from the Pharisees aimed at instructing the people.
Relationship with Jesus
The Gospels portray the Pharisees as being frequently in conflict with Jesus during his ministry. In Matthew 23, Jesus delivers a series of sharp rebukes against them:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger” (Matthew 23:1-4 ESV).
Jesus condemned the hypocrisy and pride of the Pharisees. He accused them of using their human traditions to “make void the word of God” (Matthew 15:6 ESV) and obsessing over minor rules while neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23).
The Pharisees, for their part, opposed Jesus’ relaxed approach toward the Sabbath, ritual washing, and associating with sinners. They were disturbed by his claims to possess divine authority. When Jesus gained popularity among the people, the Pharisees saw him as both a religious and political threat. As a result, they conspired to have Jesus arrested and crucified.
After Jesus’ death, the early Christian movement continued to clash with the Pharisees. The book of Acts depicts the Pharisees opposing the message of the apostles and having them imprisoned (Acts 5:17-42). The Pharisee Saul (later the apostle Paul) persecuted the early church until his conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).
Later History
After the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, the Sadducees rapidly declined since they were so closely tied to the Temple priesthood. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were strengthened since they had always emphasized the synagogue and Torah study over the Temple. With the Temple gone, the synagogue-based form of Judaism championed by the Pharisees became the dominant expression of Jewish identity.
The ultimate triumph of the Pharisaic vision is reflected in the enormous compilation of Rabbinic writings known as the Mishnah and Talmud. These works captured the oral traditions passed down from the Pharisees and became the guiding texts for Rabbinic Judaism. The Mishnah was compiled around 200 AD by Rabbi Judah the Prince and the Jerusalem Talmud was completed by the 5th century AD.
So while the Pharisees were opponents of early Christianity, their legacy lived on and shaped the basis for mainstream Judaism in the centuries after the Temple’s destruction. The religious vision promoted by the sect managed to survive and adapt, unlike the Sadducees who faded from history.
Key Figures
Some notable Pharisees and Rabbinic sages who helped shape early Judaism include:
- Hillel – Influential 1st century BC scholar who helped develop the oral law and is one of the most important figures in Rabbinic Judaism.
- Shammai – Contemporaneous with Hillel, led the more conservative school of thought focused on strict interpretation of the oral law.
- Gamaliel – Prominent 1st century AD leader mentioned in Acts; grandson of Hillel.
- Judah the Prince – Led the Sanhedrin and compiled the Mishnah around 200 AD.
- Johanan ben Zakkai – Escaped the Siege of Jerusalem and established an academy at Yavneh to renew Judaism after the Temple’s destruction.
These scholars and leaders helped cement the Pharisaic vision of an authoritative oral Torah and synagogue-based teaching that could preserve Jewish identity and piety even without the Temple.
Conclusion
The Pharisees were a dominant Jewish sect during the time of Christ that had a major impact on early Judaism and Christianity. They sought to rigorously observe both biblical laws and oral traditions in order to maintain the purity and faith of the Jewish people. The conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees recorded in the New Testament highlighted their differences over interpretation of the Law. Nevertheless, the theology and practices of the Pharisees left an enduring mark as Rabbinic Judaism evolved after the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD.