Making Cents of Jesus Part 2: The Rise of the Pharisees and Essenes

Dig in: Matthew 22:15-22

We've been looking at important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. These two groups influenced Jesus' teaching because of their influence on the thinking of the average Jew at the time of Christ and because of their vocal opposition to Jesus in the gospels. Read more in part 1 - Making Cents of Jesus.

Two Groups, One Cause

What were to later become the separate parties known in Jesus’ day as the Pharisees and the Essenes began as factions within Jewish society that were reacting to increasing pressure on the chosen people to leave their traditional ways and adopt a Greek way of life. These pressures started with the exile of the Jews by the Babylonians, and continued to build throughout the time of the Old Testament and the years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. These conservative factions, which vigorously believed in maintaining obedience to the laws of God without compromise, were identified by the name Hasidaeans meaning “pious ones.”

The Hasidaeans emerged as a somewhat organized political entity as a response to this pressure to shed the traditions that made them uniquely Jewish in order to blend in with the nations that conquered them. The encroachment of Greek culture on the Jewish world was forcefully started by the conquests of Alexander the Great. His dream was to unite the peoples of east and west under one government and one culture. Greek language, religion, and ideals were introduced into the east for the first time.

Alexander’s untimely death led to centuries of social and political instability as Alexander’s four generals and their descendants jockeyed for control of the vast empire. Often the Jews were caught in the middle. Between 323 BC and 301 BC alone, Palestine changed hands six times. The opening verses of First Maccabees (which is a very useful historical document for understanding this period of Jewish history) describe these tumultuous years after Alexander:

And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died. Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth. (1 Macc 1:7-9)

As troubling as this protracted era of war and unrest was to the Jews, especially to those who wished to maintain the practice of the laws and religion, their situation would grow much worse under the rule of an angry king who called himself Epiphanes meaning, “god manifest” – Antiochus IV.

Next time...What Antiochus did to spark a war for independence, and cause a split in the Hasidaeans that would result in the Pharisees and Essenes...

This is part of a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.