The Leaven of the Pharisees

Abstract

This study attempts to decipher the meaning of the leaven of the Pharisees. It first presents the obscure history of the Pharisees – primarily with the help of Josephus, but also taking into account the relevant passages in the New Testament. In a second step, the study then explores what meanings the Old and New Testaments associate with leaven. I argue that the warning against the leaven of the Pharisees is a warning against the ambition of Jesus' disciples to gain power.