Who were the Pharisees?

Who were the Pharisees?

As Lewis Carroll wrote in his famous poem,

The time has come,' the Walrus said, To talk of many things:

Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax Of cabbages and kings

Well, not such an eclectic group, just Pharisees, (same thing really 😊)

Excuse my ramblings, but seriously who were they?

We find them mentioned by various sources,

1. The Pharisees are mentioned numerous times in Gospels.
2. The Jewish historian Josephus provides a detailed account of the Pharisees in his works, particularly in his books "The Jewish War" and "Antiquities of the Jews."
3. The Talmud, (a record of rabbinic debates on the teachings of the Torah) a central text of Rabbinic Judaism also provides information about the Pharisees and their beliefs.
4. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the writings of Philo of Alexandria also contain information about the Pharisees.

But firstly who was Josephus (Flavius Josephus)?

Josephus was a Jewish historian and scholar who lived in the first century AD. He was born in Jerusalem in 37 or 38 AD to a priestly family. Josephus lived during the time of the apostles, and he played an important role in the history of the Jewish people during the Roman occupation and the tumult of religious unrest.

Josephus is best known for his writings, which include.

"The Jewish War," a history of the Jewish rebellion against Rome from 66 to 70 CE, and

"Antiquities of the Jews," a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from Creation to the outbreak of the Jewish revolt.

"Against Apion," a defence of the Jewish people against anti-Semitic attacks.

In addition to his historical writings, Josephus was also a military leader and something of a diplomat or as put another way “a bit of a chancer”.

Josephus the freedom fighter

Josephus was a commander of the Jewish forces in Galilee during the Jewish revolt against Rome in 67 AD.  He was stationed in the fortified town of “Yodfat” when it was besieged by the Roman army under the command of Vespasian. Despite the Jewish force’s efforts to defend the town, the Romans eventually breached the walls and stormed the city. Josephus and a group of his comrades retreated to a cave, where they planned to fight to the death rather than be captured.

However, fighting to the death wasn't for Josephus and as the Roman soldiers closed in on the cave, Josephus had a change of heart. Josephus managed to convince his comrades to kill/martyr each other by casting lots (just like the 90 Sicarii Rebels did at Masada) to decide who would be the last person to die. Somewhat fortuitously, Josephus made it to the last two. But would you believe it, after all this brotherly bloodshed, Josephus then convinces the other man to surrender to the Romans along with him!

Josephus then emerged from the cave and surrendered to the Roman commander, Vespasian. According to Josephus' own account, he predicted that Vespasian would become the next emperor of Rome (some serious grovelling), and Vespasian was so impressed by his foresight that he spared his life and took him as a prisoner. Oddly enough, Josephus then managed to become a close advisor to Vespasian and his son Titus. (who’d have thought it possible,)

The circumstances of Josephus' surrender have been the subject of debate among scholars, as Josephus' own account of the event may be biased or unreliable. Some have speculated that Josephus may have been a traitor to the Jewish cause, while others believe that he made a pragmatic decision to surrender rather than die in battle. Regardless, Josephus' surrender to the Roman army had a profound impact on his life and career and set him on a path that would ultimately lead to his famous writings about Jewish history and culture.

Josephus on Jesus

Josephus does mention Jesus in his works, but the authenticity of the passages that refer to Jesus is disputed among scholars. There are two passages in Josephus' writings that mention Jesus, and they are as follows:

1. The James passage appears in Book 20, Chapter 9 of "Antiquities of the Jews" and describes James, the brother of Jesus, being executed by the Jewish high priest Ananus. This passage is generally considered to be more authentic than the Testimonium Flavianum, although some scholars still question its reliability.
2. The Testimonium Flavianum: This is the more controversial of the two passages. It appears in Book 18, Chapter 3 of "Antiquities of the Jews" and describes Jesus as a wise teacher, a doer of wonderful works, and the Christ.

Some scholars believe that this passage has been partially or entirely forged by later Christian scribes, while others believe that it may have originally been written by Josephus but was later edited or interpolated by Christian copyists.

Overall, while Josephus does mention Jesus in his writings, however the authenticity of the second passage is not reliable but is most probably the reason why his writings have survived, being a source of evidence for Jesus outside the Canon.

Marble buildings in Jerusalem

Josephus mentions marble in several places in his works, particularly in his book "The Jewish War." A few examples include:

1. In Book 5, Chapter 4, Josephus describes the construction of the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem by King Herod the Great. He notes that the building was made of large blocks of white marble, and that it was situated in a strategic location overlooking the Temple Mount.
2. In Book 6, Chapter 6, Josephus describes the siege of Masada by the Roman army. He notes that the fortress was built on a rocky plateau and was surrounded by cliffs that were difficult to scale. He also notes that the walls of the fortress were made of stone and marble, and were very strong.
3. In Book 7, Chapter 1, Josephus describes the renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem by King Herod the Great. He notes that the Temple was adorned with many beautiful decorations, including columns of white marble, gold and silver ornaments, and precious stones.

From these, it’s clear that Josephus often mentions marble as a material used in the construction of important buildings and structures in ancient Judea. His descriptions suggest that marble was highly valued for its strength, durability, and aesthetic beauty and that it was often used for decorative purposes in important religious and political buildings.

Unfortunately,,, there is no archaeological evidence of the use of Marble in Jerusalem. When Josephus wrote his history he was living in Rome, where all important buildings were made from marble. Therefore It’s apparent that Josephus was embellishing his writings in order to impress his Roman readers.

Josephus' works are an important source of information about the history of the Jewish people during the Second Temple period, as well as the Roman occupation of Judea and the Jewish revolts against Roman rule. His writings also provide valuable insights into the religious and cultural life of the Jewish people during this period. But having said that, given his treachery as a military commander, his "uncanny" ability to talk his way out of trouble, his excessive use of exaggeration, along with “unknown edits” it appears to me, that Josephus is more equivalent to "a period drama" writer of his day, a Jewish Maeve Binchy, if you like. Maybe I’m being a tad harsh, who knows. Having said that Professor "David Flusser" writes that the accuracy of writing can be analysed against the Dead Sea Scrolls

Josephus’s schema of three schools of Judaism in the Second Temple period has long been challenged as his own invention. The present situation is interesting because the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were first analysed in the light of Josephus’s account of the Essenes, can now be used to check the historiography and accuracy of Josephus. From the Scrolls, we can now see that the Essenes to describe the composition of major sects and groups in that time as being three in number.[1]

Let’s press on,

The Pharisees are a sect within Judaism, who we know were monotheistic, they worship one God and one God only. As Jews, they are God’s chosen people, the people that God had chosen to enter into a covenantal relationship with when He gave them the Law. They observed strict dietary laws, Kept the Sabbath, and recited the "Shema" daily, Deut 6: 4-5

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Pharisees, (Parush or Parushi, which means "The Separated ones") was the largest of the 1st-century groups (Sadducees, Essenes, Scribes, Zealots etc,). Josephus tells us that they were a brotherhood, consisting of around 6000 members. (but take that number with a liberal pinch of salt!) But what we do know is that this brotherhood wanted to establish a “True Israel” by extending the Priestly life into the daily life of all of the people. As a brotherhood, they debated the Law as given by God, and in order to avoid accidentally breaking the Law, they developed interpretations of it, along with rules on its practical application. These interpretations are called the “Oral Law” or the “Midrash” in Hebrew.

Pharisees mentioned in the Bible include Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Gamaliel, Saul/Paul. Some theologians also say that Josephus was a Pharisee, but who can say for sure?

The Pharisees were known as “exemplars of piety” and some of them were part of the Sanhedrin, and others were Scribes (experts in the Law). But after the destruction of the temple in 70AD, Jewish religious life changed significantly. With the destruction of the Temple, animal sacrifices couldn't be made, there was no priesthood, and therefore atonement for sins couldn't be made. To overcome this dilemma, Rabbinic Judaism developed, which focused on the study of sacred texts, especially those concerning sacrifice. This ultimately led to a “Study focused life” with the Synagogue becoming the center of Judaic religious life.

Going back to the Gospels and the time of Jesus, we read of many encounters that Jesus had with the Pharisees. We know that Jesus loved the law, we read this in Matt 5:17

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

It’s clear that one of the main problems Jesus had with the Pharisees was their human interpretation of God’s Law, which distorted and perverted its truth.

For example, the Pharisees or “Parush”, (Separated Ones), would not sit down at table with the “Am Há aretz” which literally means “the people of the land”. People like shepherds, tanners, donkey drivers, and prostitutes, who the Pharisees considered ritually unclean.

The Pharisees would also declare their belongings as “Korban”, meaning a sacrificial offering to God, and thus avoid having to look after their elderly parents. Jesus refers to this in an exchange with the Pharisees in Matthew 15:3-4

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honour your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.

But Jesus's encounters with the Pharisees weren't all negative, in John 3:1-15 we read about Nicodemus coming to visit Jesus at night saying, “we know that you are a teacher come from God”.

In verses 3 and 4 Nicodemus asks about how a person can be reborn

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

We see Nicodemus again in John 7:45-52 where we read that he defends Jesus in his absence when he argues,

⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?

And then finally in John 19:38-41 we read.

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

So from these verses, we discover that the Pharisees are Israel’s teachers of the Law. and that Jesus had his followers in the Pharisees and that it was their application of the law that Jesus had issues with.

Let’s consider Luke 15 and the parable of the Lost sheep,

We know that the Pharisees wouldn’t sit down at table with the “Am Há aretz” (people of the land) shepherds, tanners, donkey drivers, prostitutes etc because they were considered ritually unclean. This is totally opposite to what Jesus does.

Luke 15

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Notice that Jesus tells this parable with the Pharisees present, muttering in the background “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

As Jesus told the parable, the Pharisees would have been offended straight away. Why? because they were the people's teachers, the religious shepherds of the nation and they knew it.

lets look at Ezekiel 34: 2-6

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

Then later God says that he himself will Shepherd his people, veres 10-12

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

*(Ezekiel’s 34, I recommend reading it fully)

Now consider this along with the parable of the Lost sheep in which Jesus is describing himself as the "Good Shepherd" of Ezekiel 34 and the Pharisees as bad shepherds who have not fulfilled their duty.

Notice also in the parable that Jesus the "Good Shepherd" seeks out the lost sheep, (the Am Há aretz) finds the one that is lost, lifts it over his shoulders, and joyfully brings it home. In this, we see that repentance is a gift from God, because it is the good Shepherd who first seeks the lost, finds us, turns us around, and brings us safely home.

I can imagine the cross faces of the Pharisees as they listened to Jesus tell this parable, they would have been offended, but rightly so!

Have a great day, and God bless,

Trev.

[1] “PHARISEES, SADDUCEES AND ESSENES I N P E S H E R N A H U M ”, Professor David Flusser"