Pharisee

The Pharisees were a Jewish religious movement that flourished in the late Second Temple period, roughly from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The name derives from the Hebrew term perushim, often rendered in Greek as Pharisaioi, commonly translated as “the separated ones.” They emerged as a distinct group within Judaism and became influential in various communities.

Pharisaic doctrine centered on the Written Torah (the first five books) and a parallel, authoritative body of oral interpretation that they believed was divinely given and binding. They taught that the Oral Law guided everyday practice, including rules of ritual purity, Sabbath observance, and ethical conduct. The Pharisees also accepted beliefs in the afterlife, the resurrection of the dead, and the existence of angels and spirits. Their approach emphasized personal piety, study, and civic religious life, and they encouraged study and debate in synagogues and study halls.

Historically, Pharisees stood in contrast to the Sadducees, who rejected the Oral Law, and to other groups such as the Essenes. They were influential in Judea and Galilee and acted as a bridge between temple-centered priestly practice and lay Jewish learning. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic interpretations became the foundation of Rabbinic Judaism, producing the Mishnah and later the Talmud. In early Christian writings, Pharisees are depicted as opponents or critics of Jesus; modern scholarship emphasizes their diversity and cautions against one-dimensional portrayals.