The Pharisees Pre-70

Abstract

<p>In 70 C.E. the Romans razed the Jerusalem Temple 2nd Judaism underwent a radical change. From that moment, normative Judaism was Pharisaic Judaism. As a result, our knowledge of the Pharisees after 70 C.E. is as extensive as our knowledge of the Pharisees before 70 C.E. is limited. When did the Pharisees first arise? What were their beliefs and practices? What role did they play in the growth of early Judaism? These questions have haunted scholars for decades and have given birth to a myriad of diverse theories. It is the purpose of this project to examine five of these hypotheses and then to offer some modest conclusions concerning the future of pre-70 Pharisaic scholarship.</p>