From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Pharisees (so named because of their role as separatists, from the Hebrew persahin, from parash, meaning "to separate") were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the "pious"), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt against his heathenizing policy. The first mention of them is in a description by Josephus of the three sects or schools into which the Jews were divided (B.C. 145). The other two sects were the Essenes and the Sadducees.
Because of the New Testament's frequent depictions of Pharisees as self-righteous rule-followers, and because most scholars agree that the gospels place the blame for Jesus' crucifixion on a large faction of Pharisees, the word "pharisee" (and its derivatives: "pharisaical", etc.) has come into semi-common usage in English to describe a hypocritical and/or legalistic person. Many non-Christians object that the four Gospels, the scriptures of a religion seeking to separate from Judaism, are likely a very biased source concerning the conduct of the Pharisees.
The role of the Pharisees in the New Testament is often misrepresented as being the ideological foes of Jesus. The Pharisees were undoubtably well-educated individuals who preserved the traditions of the Talmud by arguing about points of law and religious belief. Including Jesus in their arguments was a sign that they believed that he was very intelligent, and that they had great respect for his opinions. "Pharisee" in the New Testament
