Bible Dig continues an ongoing, in depth series on the Pharisees & Essenes - two influential Jewish sects at the time of Christ. Earlier, we explored the Essenes' reaction to adverse culture pressures. Here, we'll dig into the Pharisees' very different ideas about dealing with a hostile cultural environment.
The Pharisees' Answer: Separation
In contrast to the Essenes, who responded to the increasing pressures of Hellinization and the corruption of society by seeking to completely remove themselves from it, the Pharisees sought to influence their fellow Jews to follow the path of righteousness from within society. “The Pharisees were the theological and moral watchdogs of the covenant people. They exercised their influence through the synagogues, working against the corrupting Hellenizing leaven of the Herods and their circle of wealthy supporters.”[1]
The estimated 6,000 Pharisees in Judea at the time of Christ saw themselves as the direct theological descendants of Moses. It was Moses who received God’s law and communicated it to the chosen people, and the Pharisees traced themselves back to that originating point of the Torah as being the keepers and communicators of the law in a similar way that the Catholic tradition views the office of the Pope as proceeding in a direct line from Peter.
The Pharisees where not homogenous. There were variations in their interpretations of the Torah, with disciples of leading rabbis disagreeing significantly with each other. Despite these differences, together the Pharisaic tradition represented the beliefs of the common Jew. Among other things, they believed in a literal creation by Yahweh, in a coming messiah, in the coming Day of the Lord where sinners would be judged and justice would be restored, and held a literal view of the afterlife where obedience to the Torah would be rewarded.
In fact, their value of obedience to the Law was so high that, according to the Mishnah, they were to construct a “fence around the Law” to protect the people from violating the slightest point. This “fence” consisted of hundreds of additional rules appended to the original commandments. These supplementary regulations expounded on the Torah and intensified its restrictions.
For example, to the command to observe the Sabbath the Pharisees added 37 types of work forbidden on the sixth day including such labors as separating two threads.[2] While Jesus and the Pharisees shared some common ground, it was this excessive overburdening of the people with additional requirements of obedience that often sparked confrontations between them.
Historically, we are not exactly certain when the Pharisees emerge as a unified party from their shared roots with the Essenes in the Hasidaean tradition. We do know that by the time of Hyrcanus in the late Maccabean dynasty, the Pharisees are a social and political force that is opposed to the abuses of Hasmonaean power. Josephus relates a tense episode between the Pharisees Hyrcanus at a banquet held to honor the Pharisees in which one of them essentially calls the ruler an illegitimate child of Greek descent who was unfit to rule.[3] Whether this account is historically accurate or merely anecdotal, it is clear that the Pharisees were strongly opposed to the Hasmonaeans and their allies, the Sadducees.
[1] Barnett 137
[2] Barnett 139
[3] Ant. 13.10.5
This is part 7 in 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.
