Tristan Hughes

Today the Pharisees divide opinion, positively portrayed in Judaism, negatively for so long in Christianity.

But who actually were these people?

How much power and influence did they have in ancient Judea?

What did they believe in?

And did they really have next to nothing in common with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth?

Welcome to the Ancients.

I'm Tristan Hughes, your host, and this is the story of the Pharisees.

Our guest is Dr. Helen Bond, Professor of Christian Origins at Edinburgh University and the host of the podcast Biblical Time Machine.

Helen, it's been too long.

Great to have you back on the show.

And to talk about the Pharisees, and they are much more than just these portrayed villains in the New Testament.

And also from what you're saying, is it quite difficult to get a sense of who the Pharisees really were?

Are they still quite a mysterious group?

Well, shall we start with the name Pharisee first of all?

What do we know about that?

So you've already kind of highlighted that mysterious nature of this group.

So if we are to try and piece together a bit more about them, or for those who have studied the Pharisees and are trying to understand more about who these people really were, what types of sources do you have available?

Because there are some name figures who are strongly linked with the Pharisees, aren't there?

I mean, I think Paul the Apostle is.

I don't know if he says he's a Pharisee or not.