those in power.13 This view of the Pharisees is borne out by the gospels according to which the Pharisees were recognized leaders and competed with Jesus and his followers and others for influence among the people. The Pharisees’ beliefs and behavior as Jews were different enough from those of Jesus and the early Christians, as well as other Jewish groups, to provoke disputes and factional competition and conflict. Their appearance in the gospels indicates that they were established and influential