An almost forgotten Jewish sect until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Essenes were a small, separatist group that grew out of the conflicts of the Maccabean age.
The Pharisees were a Jewish group mentioned, either collectively or as individuals, ninety-eight times in the New Testament, mainly in the Gospels. The root meaning of the word "Pharisee" is uncertain. It is probably related to the Hebrew root meaning "separate" or "detach."
