“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
— Matthew 23:25
The Pharisees frequently appear in the New Testament, often in conflict with Jesus. But who were they, really? Were they simply the “bad guys” of the Gospel narratives, or were they part of a much more complex social and religious reality?
In this article, we step away from theological interpretations and take a historical approach to uncover who the Pharisees really were, and why their role in Jewish society was so significant.
The Pharisees emerged around the 2nd century BCE, during the Second Temple period—a time of major shifts in Jewish identity following the Babylonian exile and successive occupations by Persians, Greeks, and Romans.
Unlike the Sadducees, who were associated with the Temple elite and priestly class, the Pharisees advocated for a religion centered around the Torah (Jewish Law) and oral traditions that extended religious practice into everyday life.
Though not politically dominant, the Pharisees were a powerful intellectual and religious class. They interpreted the Law, taught it to the people, and shaped the practical ways Jewish law was lived—governing aspects like diet, ritual purity, and ethical behavior.
According to Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach by William B. Eerdmans, the Pharisees acted as a kind of ideological middle class in ancient Palestine. Their influence reached both the lower and upper social strata, shaping moral and legal standards for daily life.
French historian Étienne Nodet, in Essai sur les origines du Judaïsme: de Josué aux Pharisiens, emphasizes the Pharisees’ role in transforming Judaism from a Temple-based religion to one centered on community and ethical practice—especially significant after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
In the Gospels, Jesus frequently debates with the Pharisees. But this opposition wasn’t just black and white—it was a clash between two interpretations of Judaism.
Both Jesus and the Pharisees valued the Torah and taught among the people. What divided them was how the Law should be applied. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for what he saw as legalism and hypocrisy—focusing on appearances rather than the deeper principles of justice and mercy.
It’s important to see this not as a battle between good and evil, but as a reflection of tensions within Judaism itself at the time.
Despite their widespread (and sometimes negative) portrayal in the Gospels, the Pharisees were not a homogeneous group, and many of their members were intellectuals, teachers, conciliators, and spiritual leaders. Understanding their central figures helps us go beyond the label and understand their historical complexity.
| Name | Main Source | Role and Relevance | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicodemus | Bible (John 3, 7, 19) | Pharisee who visited Jesus at night; later helped with His burial | Represents openness to dialogue with Jesus |
| Gamaliel | Bible (Acts 5:34) | Teacher of the Law; known for moderation; advised caution to the Sanhedrin | Advocate of tolerance and possibly Paul’s mentor |
| Paul of Tarsus | Bible (Phil. 3:5; Acts 22:3) | Identified himself as a Pharisee; disciple of Gamaliel; later apostle to the Gentiles | Deep rabbinic background |
| Hillel the Elder | Talmud, Rabbinic sources | Founder of the School of Hillel; known for ethical teachings and compassion | Known for Judaism’s “Golden Rule” |
| Shammai | Talmud | Leader of the School of Shammai; stricter approach to the Law | Philosophical counterpart to Hillel |
| Flavius Josephus | Jewish Antiquities | Historian who described Pharisees as strict interpreters of the Law | Crucial external source for historiography |
Understanding who the Pharisees were gives us insight into the historical and cultural context of ancient Judaism, and how it evolved. Far from being mere biblical antagonists, they were real people living in real historical conditions—playing a key role in shaping religious thought and community-based worship that would influence not only Judaism but Christianity as well.
EERDMANS, William B. Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987.
NODET, Étienne. Essai sur les origines du Judaïsme: de Josué aux Pharisiens. Paris: Cerf, 1990.
The Holy Bible. Gospel of Matthew, chapter 23.
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