The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group in the late Second Temple period (roughly 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE) known for strict observance of the Law of Moses and a strong tradition of oral interpretation. They played a major role in Jewish religious life in the time of Jesus and became foundational for later rabbinic Judaism.

Who the Pharisees Were

  • They were a party of lay teachers and scribes rather than temple priests, active mainly in Judea and Galilee.
  • Their name is usually linked to a Hebrew word meaning “separated ones,” reflecting a concern for ritual and moral separation from impurity and foreign influence.
  • They emerged after the Maccabean revolt (c. 165–160 BCE), likely from earlier pious groups called Hasidim who resisted forced Hellenization.

What They Believed

  • They accepted both the written Torah and an authoritative oral tradition, which later fed directly into texts like the Mishnah and the Talmud.
  • They taught that God’s law applied to everyday life, extending priestly purity ideas (like food and cleanliness rules) to ordinary households.
  • Unlike the Sadducees, they generally believed in resurrection of the dead, angels, and divine providence or fate.

Role in History and Politics

  • Under the Hasmonean rulers and later the Romans, they were influential in the population but did not usually hold the top priestly offices.
  • Ancient historian Josephus describes them as respected interpreters of the law whose opinions often shaped public practice and even political decisions.
  • Their conflicts with priestly elites and with some rulers led at times to persecution, but their popularity among ordinary people helped their ideas survive.

Pharisees in the New Testament

  • In the Gospels, they often appear as opponents of Jesus, criticizing him over Sabbath observance, purity, and association with “sinners.”
  • These texts portray some Pharisees as hypocritical or overly legalistic, but even there, individual Pharisees like Nicodemus or Gamaliel are shown more sympathetically.
  • Modern scholars stress that these polemical portrayals reflect intra-Jewish disputes of the time and should not be turned into stereotypes about Judaism or Jews.

Their Legacy Today

  • After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, priestly sacrificial worship largely ended, but Pharisaic-style Torah study and practice could continue anywhere.
  • The movement’s emphasis on study, synagogue life, and living out the law in daily routines became the foundation of rabbinic Judaism and, indirectly, much of later Jewish practice.
  • Because of harsh Gospel polemics, “Pharisee” is sometimes used today as an insult meaning “hypocrite,” but many historians argue this is unfair to the historical Pharisees and can fuel antisemitic misunderstandings.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.