The Pharisees were an important group of Israel's religious leaders in Jesus' time. Many of them were middle class businessmen and some of them were also priests.
* Of all the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees were the most strict in obeying the Laws of Moses and other Jewish laws and traditions.
* They were very concerned about keeping the Jewish people separated from the influence of the Gentiles around them. In fact, the name "Pharisee" comes from the word "to separate."
* The Pharisees believed in life after death; they also believed in the existence of angels and other spiritual beings.
See in Reader
