The Qumran Essenes are known as Osseaens. The establishment of Qumran (Q’um Ran) is believed to have originated in 150 BC. Savoy, Gene (1980) [1978]. The Essaei Document: Secrets of an Eternal Race: Codicil to The Decoded New Testament. Reno, Nevada: International Community of Christ. ISBN 0-936202-03-3. OCLC 13952564. Alexander, David; Alexander, Pat (1983). The Lion handbook to the Bible. Tring: Lion Hudson. ISBN 0-86760-271-6.

We do not know much about the canon of the Essenes, and what their attitude was towards the apocryphal writings, however the Essenes perhaps did not esteem the book of Esther highly as manuscripts of Esther are completely absent in Qumran, likely because of their opposition to mixed marriages and the use of different calendars. [58] [59] John the Baptist has also been argued to have been an Essene, as there are numerous parallels between John's mission and the Essenes, which suggests he perhaps was trained by the Essene community. [69] a b Rudolph, Kurt (April 1964). "War Der Verfasser Der Oden Salomos Ein "Qumran-Christ"? Ein Beitrag zur Diskussion um die Anfänge der Gnosis". Revue de Qumrân. Peeters. 4 (16): 523–555. Philo's usage is Essaioi, although he admits this Greek form of the original name, that according to his etymology signifies "holiness", to be inexact. [23] Pliny's Latin text has Esseni. [5] [24]At the conclusion of his book, Joseph determines that the Essenes are “a missing link in the study of early Christian origins” (169). The idiom suggests an “A” and a “C” that are known to us, with the Essenes providing the “B” that explains how history developed from point A to C. The parallels can be understood this way, but I am not persuaded that they should be. Rather than a link in a chain, I find it more useful to borrow an imagery that would resonate with the Essenes: that of shedding light. We know for a fact that Jesus was a Second Temple Jew, and that his ideas were forged and shaped by the circumstances of this tumultuous period. The scrolls help us illuminate the stage when this transpired, but these movements may have existed as independent scenes rather than partners in a direct dialogue. The Teacher is extolled as having proper understanding of the Torah, qualified in its accurate instruction, [3] and being the one through whom God would reveal to the community "the hidden things in which Israel had gone astray". [4] Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London. McGirk, Tim (16 March 2009). "Scholar Claims Dead Sea Scrolls 'Authors' Never Existed". Time. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009 . Retrieved 17 March 2009. The “root of Jesse” is the most important factor. The Nazarenes considered themselves that root, but did not consider the Essene legalists in the same manner. The “root of Jesse” was about to correct the imbalance upon law into balance within God. Thank you for mentioning the Babylonian Temple, which was largely orchestrated through Ezra, the highest-ranking scribe and was also a priest. Most scholars agree Ezra was heavy on Torah but perhaps left the spiritual attribution wanting.

Goranson, Stephen (1999). "Others and Intra-Jewish Polemic as Reflected in Qumran Texts". In Peter W. Flint; James C. VanderKam (eds.). The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment. Vol.2. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp.534–551. ISBN 90-04-11061-5. OCLC 230716707. A few have argued that the Essenes had an idea of a pierced Messiah based on 4Q285, however the interpretation of the text is ambiguous, some scholars interpreted it as the Messiah being killed himself, while modern scholars mostly interpret it as the Messiah executing the enemies of Israel in an eschatological war. [75] a b "The Essenes and the origins of Christianity". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com . Retrieved 12 April 2022.

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Although the exact identity of the Teacher is unknown, based on the text of the Community Rule scroll, the teachers of the sect are identified as Kohens (priests) of patrilineal progeny of Zadok [5] (the first high priest to serve in Solomon's Temple), leading scholars to assume the Teacher as a Kohen (priest) of Tzadokite lineage. [5] Identity [ edit ] The "missing" High Priest of 159–152 BCE [ edit ] All Essene would consider themselves the Sons of Zadok, or Zadokites. “The Priests are the converts of Israel who departed from the land of Judah, and those (those of the Levitical priesthood) who joined them. The Sons of Zadok are the elect of Israel, the men called by name who shall stand at the end of days…” from the Damascus Document IV, Dead Sea Scrolls (also taken from Ezekiel 44.15-17). The Sons of Zadok were the most knowledgeable of the Zadokite priesthood.

Revelatory, sometimes mystical but practical, describes the nature of the Way. Sowing seed is practical, speaking the Word is direct, and prayer is a mainstay. The fact that most of the Qumran Essene priests did not recognize their own Messiah leaves them in the legalistic basket with the Pharisees. According to the conventional view, the Essenes disappeared after the First Jewish–Roman War, which also witnessed the destruction of the settlement at Qumran. [3] Scholars have noted the absence of direct sources supporting this claim, raising the possibility of their endurance or the survival of related groups in the following centuries. [8] Some researchers suggest that Essene teachings could have influenced other religious traditions, such as Early Christianity and Mandaeism. [9] [10] Etymology [ edit ] Schiffman, Lawrence H. (27 July 2015). "Discovery and Acquisition, 1947–1956, Lawrence H. Schiffman, Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1994". Center for Online Judaic Studies . Retrieved 16 April 2020. Newman, Hillel (2006). Proximity to Power and Jewish Sectarian Groups of the Ancient Period. Koninklijke Brill NV. ISBN 9789047408352.Both the Essenes and Christians practiced voluntary celibacy and prohibited divorce. [73] Both also used concepts of "light" and "darkness" for good and evil. [74] The Qumran Essenes shared one common view with all Essene—that Essene priests were the proper Temple authority and would eventually assume authority within the Temple. As a faction of the original Zadokite priesthood, they did have a rightful claim. In agreement with Jesus, they neither would continue animal sacrifice in the Temple (Jn. 2.16-17).* Nazarenes (Jesus) were not known to practice animal sacrifice at all. *A sacrifice to Rome had to be given each day, which was particularly odious to all Jews.

Rudolph, Kurt (1977). "Mandaeism". In Moore, Albert C. (ed.). Iconography of Religions: An Introduction. Vol.21. Chris Robertson. ISBN 9780800604882. One theory initially advocated by Jerome Murphy-O'Connor [6] and subsequently by Stegemann is that the Teacher of Righteousness served as High Priest but was subsequently ousted by Jonathan Apphus. In 1 Maccabees, no High Priest is named for the period from the death of Alcimus in 159 BCE to the claiming of the position of High Priest by Jonathan on the authority of Alexander Balas in 152 BCE (1 Macc 10:18–20). From this it could be concluded that there was no High Priest for these years, and indeed Josephus, drawing heavily on 1 Maccabees at this point in his history, comes to that conclusion (Ant. 20.237). It is improbable, however, that the office remained completely vacant for these years. Stegemann suggests that the reason that nothing is said in 1 Maccabees about a High Priest between Alcimus and Jonathan was apologetic: to conceal the fact that the Hasmoneans obtained the High Priesthood by usurping it from its rightful holder, the Teacher of Righteousness. [7] Alvar Ellegård follows this line and argues that the Teacher of Righteousness was not only the leader of the Essenes at Qumran, but was also considered something of a precursor to Jesus Christ about 150 years before the time of the Gospels. [8] themselves more obvious. David settled Saul’s sin perpetrated against the Giv’on. David later has to settle his own sin through humility and forgiveness– in other words, many of these teachings were moving through perhaps a greater current, one stretching from India to Egypt.

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last=Lim |first=Timothy |date=January 17th 2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press's Academic Insights for the Thinking World a b Pliny the Elder. Historia Naturalis. Ab occidente litora Esseni fugiunt usque qua nocent, gens sola et in toto orbe praeter ceteras mira, sine ulla femina, omni venere abdicata, sine pecunia, socia palmarum. in diem ex aequo convenarum turba renascitur, large frequentantibus quos vita fessos ad mores eorum fortuna fluctibus agit. ita per saeculorum milia—incredibile dictu—gens aeterna est, in qua nemo nascitur. tam fecunda illis aliorum vitae paenitentia est! infra hos Engada oppidum fuit, secundum ab Hierosolymis fertilitate palmetorumque nemoribus, nunc alterum bustum. inde Masada castellum in rupe, et ipsum haut procul Asphaltite. et hactenus Iudaea est. {{ cite book}}: |work= ignored ( help) cf. English translation. Gregory Doudna, A Narrative Argument that the Teacher of Righteousness was Hyrcanus II. Excerpted from pp. 95–107 of the book The beit manda ( beth manda) is described as biniana rab ḏ-srara ("the Great building of Truth") and bit tušlima ("house of Perfection") in Mandaean texts such as the Qolasta, Ginza Rabba, and the Mandaean Book of John. The only known literary parallels are in Essene texts from Qumran such as the Community Rule, which has similar phrases such as the "house of Perfection and Truth in Israel" ( Community Rule 1QS VIII 9) and "house of Truth in Israel." [95] Magarites [ edit ]