In Quest of the Historical Pharisees

Download or read book In Quest of the Historical Pharisees written by Jacob Neusner and published by Baylor University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work sketches the many portraits of the Pharisees that emerge from ancient sources. Based upon the Gospels, the writings of Paul, Josephus, the Mishnah, the Tosefta, and archeology, the volume profiles the Pharisees and explores the relationship between the Pharisees and the Judaic religious system foreshadowed by the library of Qumran. A great virtue of this study is that no attempt is made to homogenize the distinct pictures or reconstruct a singular account of the Pharisees; instead, by carefully considering the sources, the chapters allow different pictures of the Pharisees to stand side by side.