Until recently the greatest misconception has prevailed, even among scholars, respect• ing this self-sacrificing, patriotic, pious, learned, and national party of progress. That there were among them those who were a disgrace to any party, and, still more, to their strict one, no one knew better than the Pharisees themselves, and in bitterer words than were ever used by Christ and the apostles, the Talmud castigates certain Vperplous mem bers of their own community as the "plague of Pharisaism." These hypocrites were characteristically styled Zebithn [dyed, painted ones], "who do evil deeds like Zimri, and require a godly reward like Phinehas.' Seven kinds of Pharisees are enumerated in the Talmud, six of whom were not to be counted as real Pharisees—viz., (1) they who did the will of God for earthly motives; (2) those who made very small steps, or said: Wait for me—I have still some good deed to do; (3) those who knocked their heads against walls, lest they mtht look at a woman; (4) ex officio saints; (5) those who say: tell mite of another duty: (6) those who are pious because they fear God. The only genuine Plittrisee was he " who did the will of his Father in heaven because he loved him," Josephus's accounts, distortions in themselves, have, to add to the confusion, been mis understood (thus, for example, the word which lie uses to designate the three parties, never meant " sect," as it has invariably been interpreted); and the position of Christ in relation to the Pharisees can never be understood properly without a full acquaiutance with the circumstances of the time, to which there is no other way than a knowledge of that literature (the Talmud and Midrash) which has so long been neglected. Christ found the influence of the Pharisees predominant among the people, although the Sadducees (and the Botithusians) were in reality the ruling classes and allies of the reign ing dynasty. lie naturally sided with the democratic party of the Pharisees against that
of the proud opposite camp. As for the religious tendencies of the latter, the Sadducees (q.v.)--the people had decided that point already practically, by siding with the Phari sees. Once only an allusion is made also to the leaven of Herod — the Sadducees (Mark viii. 15, cf. Matt. xvi. 6). But it was, above all things, necessary to combat the ever-growing tendency to choke up. as it were, all real piety and genuine virtue of heart under external ceremonies and observances, which, unless guarded against, will appear, instead of a mere symbol and memento, the essence of religion itself. and thus become in time a delusion and bondage, and end in that vile hypocrisy against which the Talmud fights with all its powers of derision, and Christ inveighs in much more vehement than is his wont. It was not in themselves that these "oral laws" were held up to scorn. They were a necessary and natural growth, and acted, in the main, beneficially; as is now fully recognized by scholars of eminence. (For,some further remarks on the sub ject, sec 'TALMUD.) PhariSASM—froin which gradually branched off the wild democratical party of zealots (Kannahn), and which for the last time represented political opinions in the revolution of Bar Coehba—has, from the downfall of the sanctuary, and the final destruction of the commonwealth, to this day remained time principle representative of Judaism as a creed only, Sadditeeeism dying out, or, at all events, producing only one such sterile plant as Karaism. Sec JEWISH SECTS, SADDOCEES.