Pharisees
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The Pharisees were scrupulous observers of the Biblical law and representatives of the religious views, hopes and practices of the Jewish people in the Second Temple. The Pharisees opposed the priestly Sadducees. The term "Pharisees" derives from "Perisha" (the singular of "Perishaya"), which means "one who separates himself." In a religious sense it meant a group that separates itself from impure persons and things in seeking a higher level of holiness as desired by God.
At times Jesus was very critical of the Pharisees, as observed in the Gospels. After the Jewish struggle with Rome (A.D. 66-135), Pharisaism became virtually synonymous with Judaism itself.