Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, head of The Jєωιѕн Theological Seminary of
America, in the Foreword to the First Edition of his world-famous classic
`The Pharisees, The Sociological Background of Their Faith', on page XXI
states:
`... Judaism ... Pharisaism became тαℓмυdism, тαℓмυdism became Medieval
Rabbinism and Medieval Rabbinism became Modern Rabbinism. But throughout
these changes in name ... the spirit of the ancient Pharisees survives,
unaltered ... From Palestine to Babylonia; from Babylonia to North Africa,
Italy, Spain, France and Germany; from these to Poland, Russia and eastern
Europe generally, ancient Pharisaism has wandered, demonstrating the
enduring importance which attaches to Pharisaism as a religious movement
...'
Rabbi Louis Finkelstein traces the origin of the form of religious worship
practiced today under the present name `Judaism', to its origin as
`Pharisaism' in Judea in the time of Jesus. He confirms what the eminent
Rabbi Adolph Moses states in `Yahvism, and Other Discourses'. On page 1,
he states:
`Among the innumerable misfortunes which have befallen... the most fatal
in its consequences is the name Judaism... Worse still, the Jєωs
themselves, who have gradually come to call their religion Judaism ...
Yet, neither in biblical nor post-biblical, neither in тαℓмυdic, nor in
much later times, is the term Judaism ever heard ... the Bible speaks of
the religion .... as 'Torath Yahve', the instruction, or the moral law
revealed by Yahve... in other places... as 'Yirath Yahve', the fear and
reverence of Yahve. These and other appellations CONTINUED FOR MANY AGES
TO STAND FOR THE RELIGION... To distinguish it from Christianity and
Islam, the Jєωιѕн philosophers sometimes designate it as the faith or
belief of the Jєωs...IT WAS FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS, WRITING FOR THE INSTRUCTION
OF GREEKS AND ROMANS, WHO COINED THE TERM JUDAISM, in order to pit it
against Hellenism ... by Hellenism was understood the civilization,
comprising language, poetry, religion, art, science, manners, customs,
institutions, which ... had spread from Greece, its original home, over
vast regions of Europe, Asia and Africa... The Christians eagerly seized
upon the name...The Jєωs themselves, who intensely detested the traitor
Josephus, refrained from reading his works ... HENCE THE TERM JUDAISM
COINED BY JOSEPHUS REMAINED ABSOLUTELY UNKNOWN TO THEM ... IT WAS ONLY IN
COMPARATIVELY RECENT TIMES, AFTER THE JєωS BECAME FAMILIAR WITH MODERN
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE, THAT THEY BEGAN CALLING THEIR RELIGION JUDAISM'.

Ah, but the point is that the ancient pharisees were in fact тαℓмυdists, even though it was only in oral form back then.  I have also read some conjecture that they altered the Old Testament somewhat before turning it over to the gentiles.  Search me.  I wasn't around back then.

Oh, totally. I agree with that assessment. The pharisees certainly possessed the spirit of the тαℓмυdics and vice versa.