Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

which had been handed down by former generations need not be observed”

(13.297). The meaning of this distinction in views between the two groups

has received much scholarly discussion, but it is clear enough that at issue

between the two was the proper way for interpreting and applying the Mo-

saic Law, which both of course accepted as authoritative for practice. A

number of the controversies between Jesus and the Pharisees reported in

the Gospels present a similar picture of the Pharisees. When the “Pharisees

and scribes” asked Jesus why his disciples “break the tradition of the elders”

since they did not follow the practice of washing their hands before they ate,

he answered: “And why do you break the commandment of God for the

sake of your tradition?” (Matt. 15:3; see also v. 6; he cites their view about

identifying goods as an offering and thus not using them to support parents

as a violation of the fourth commandment).

Josephus identifies the Pharisees as an influential group within Jewish

society. He claims that there were some 6,000 of them (Ant.17.42) but says

they were able to bring the masses to their side and even compel rulers to

act in accord with their teachings (Ant.13.288, 298; 18.15). Whether that was

always true may be debated, but Josephus does tell about two periods

when the Pharisees were especially influential with Hasmonean rulers and

thus in the state. The background to his story about John Hyrcanus’s break

with the Pharisaic party is that they were in his favor before this. In fact,

Josephus calls John Hyrcanus a disciple of theirs; how long this relation-

ship had existed and whether it obtained in the time of his predecessors is

not said. When Hyrcanus, convinced they had maligned him by telling

him he should give up the high priesthood, changed to the side of the Sad-

ducees, the Pharisees lost power and Jews were forbidden to practice their

regulations. The dominance of the Sadducees with the Hasmonean rulers

continued through the violent reign of Alexander Jannaeus, who appar-

ently killed many Pharisees, but with his successor, his wife Salome

Alexandra (76-67b.c.e.), the situation was reversed and the Pharisees re-

gained a position of dominance. After this time the evidence becomes

sketchy, and it is not apparent whether Pharisees continued to enjoy politi-

cal as well as religious prominence.

Regarding their beliefs, Josephus mentions their moderate position on

the issue of what he calls fate: they believed that both divine and individual

human aspects were involved in human actions so that people had a mea-

sure of responsibility for what they did. According to him, they also antici-

pated a resurrection for the righteous and eternal punishment for the

wicked. There is support for some of this description in Acts 23, where the

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Judaism in the Land of Israel

EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:03:54 PM