What Is Pharisee?
The Pharisees were one of the most influential movements in the Judaism of Jesus' day; their name is associated with the meaning 'set apart'. Alongside the written Law they held to the tradition of oral interpretation, aiming to apply the rules of purity, tithing and Sabbath to every area of daily life. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, in angels and in the coming judgment, which distinguished them from the Sadducees, and they were regarded as respected teachers among the people. In the Gospels they frequently debate with Jesus, mostly over the Sabbath, purity rules and eating with sinners. Jesus' criticism targets not devotion to the Law itself but the display that overshadows its heart and the loading of burdens onto others. The New Testament does not paint a single-toned picture: there are Pharisees drawn to Jesus, like Nicodemus, and Paul introduces himself as a Pharisee. After the temple's destruction, the Pharisaic tradition became the main source of rabbinic Judaism.