Jewish Literature in New Testament Times

The Pharisees

Who were the Pharisees and When was their Origin?

The sect of Pharisees is thought to have originated sometime during the 3rd century B.C., before the Maccabean wars. During this time under Greek domination there was a strong Greek to Hellenize the Jews, and many Jews were accepting the Greek culture with its pagan religious customs. The rise of the Pharisees was a reaction and protest against the tendency to conform to Hellenism among their fellow-countrymen. The goal of the Pharisees was to preserve their Jewish national integrity and strict conformity to Mosaic law. Over time they developed into a self-righteous and hypocritical group observing the outward formalities of the Law. (See Free Bible - The Pharisees for a more detailed study.)

 
The Pharisees and Sadducees in the Time of Jesus - by Tissot

Wikipedia. The Pharisee ("separatist") party emerged largely out of the group of scribes and sages who harked back to Ezra and the Great Assembly. Their name comes from the Hebrew and Aramaic parush or parushi, which means "one who is separated." It may refer to their separation from Gentiles, sources of ritual impurity or from irreligious Jews. The Pharisees, among other Jewish sects, were active from the middle of the second century B.C.E. until the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. Josephus first mentions them in connection with Jonathan, the successor of Judas Maccabeus ("Ant." xiii. 5, � 9). One of the factors that distinguished the Pharisees from other groups prior to the destruction of the Temple was their belief that all Jews had to observe the purity laws (which applied to the Temple service) outside the Temple. The major difference, however, was the continued adherence of the Pharisees to the laws and traditions of the Jewish people in the face of assimilation. As Josephus noted, the Pharisees were considered the most expert and accurate expositors of Jewish law.

Also see The Scribes, and The Sadducees