The reality of who the Pharisees were, however, is far more complex. In Jewish tradition, the Pharisees are forerunners of the rabbis in theology and practice. This group of scribes and teachers ...

The Pharisees were not, however, the powerful elite of first-century Judaism. Those were another Jewish sect: the Sadducees, the priestly class that controlled Temple worship and held the most ...

Yet, a select few among the Pharisees were open to considering what Jesus taught and even defended his ministry. The Pharisees played a significant role in Jewish society and influenced much of ...

These were the Sadducees. Had it been the Pharisees presiding over Jesus’ trial, Knohl suggests, “Jesus would not have been condemned to death, convicted, and crucified.” Read our latest issue or ...

They clearly are seen as the opponents of Jesus and "the bad guys." Who the Pharisees really were is a different question entirely, once we get past the Jewish polemic, the anti-Pharisee polemic ...

Even if elements of their philosophy and practice were absorbed into the rabbinic movement that eventually became the mainstream of Judaism, there are no "card-carrying" Pharisees alive today.