Essenes

The Essenes ( Greek : Εσσηνοι, Εσσαιοι, or Οσσαιοι; Essēnoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi ) were a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE that some scholars claim seceded from the Zadokite priests . Being much fewer in number than the Pharisees and the Sadducees (the other two major sects at the time) the Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to asceticism, voluntary poverty, and abstinence from worldly pleasures, including marriage and daily baptisms. Many separate but related religious groups of that era shared similar mystic , eschatological , messianic , and ascetic beliefs. These groups are collectively referred to by various scholars as the "Essenes." Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers, and thousands lived throughout Judæa . The Essenes believed they were the last generation of the last generations and anticipated Teacher of Righteousness , Aaronic High Priest , and High Guard Messiah , similar to the Prophet, Priest and King expectations of the Pharisees. The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls , commonly believed to be their library. These documents include preserved multiple copies of the Hebrew Bible untouched from as early as 300 BCE until their discovery in 1946. Some scholars, however, dispute the notion that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. One scholar, Rachel Elior , even argues that the group never existed.

The Essenes (in Modern Hebrew : , Isiyim ; Greek : Εσσήνοι, Εσσαίοι, or Οσσαίοι, Essḗnoi, Essaíoi, Ossaíoi ) were a sect of Second Temple Judaism that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE which some scholars claim seceded from the Zadokite priests. Being much fewer in number than the Pharisees and the Sadducees (the other two major sects at the time), the Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to asceticism (some groups practiced celibacy), voluntary poverty , and daily immersion . Many separate but related religious groups of that era shared similar mystic , eschatological , messianic , and ascetic beliefs. These groups are collectively referred to by various scholars as the "Essenes." Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers, and thousands lived throughout Roman Judaea . The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls , which are commonly believed to be the Essenes' library—although there is no proof that the Essenes wrote them. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible untouched from possibly as early as 300 BCE until their discovery in 1946. Some scholars dispute the notion that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rachel Elior questions even the existence of the Essenes. The first reference is by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (died c. 79 CE ) in his Natural History . Pliny relates in a few lines that the Essenes do not marry, possess no money, and had existed for thousands of generations. Unlike Philo , who did not mention any particular geographical location of the Essenes other than the whole land of Israel , Pliny places them in Ein Gedi , next to the Dead Sea . A little later Josephus gave a detailed account of the Essenes in The Jewish War ( c. 75 CE ), with a shorter description in Antiquities of the Jews ( c. 94 CE ) and The Life of Flavius Josephus ( c. 97 CE ). Claiming first hand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy alongside the Pharisees and the Sadducees . He relates the same information concerning piety , celibacy , the absence of personal property and of money, the belief in communality and commitment to a strict observance of Sabbath . He further adds that the Essenes ritually immersed in water every morning, ate together after prayer, devoted themselves to charity and benevolence, forbade the expression of anger, studied the books of the elders, preserved secrets, and were very mindful of the names of the angels kept in their sacred writings. Pliny, also a geographer , located them in the desert near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Historia Naturalis . : |work= ignored ( help ) ; External link in |work= ( help ) cf. The Wars of the Jews . 2.119.

Jewish sect during the Second Temple period "Essene" redirects here. The Jewish historian Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers, and thousands lived throughout Roman Judaea , but they were fewer in number than the Pharisees and the Sadducees , the other two major sects at the time. The Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to voluntary poverty , daily immersion , and asceticism (their priestly class practiced celibacy ). Most scholars claim they seceded from the Zadokite priests. The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls , which are commonly believed to be the Essenes' library. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible untouched from possibly as early as 300 BCE until their discovery in 1946. Most scholars dispute the notion that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rachel Elior questions even the existence of the Essenes. The first reference to the sect is by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (died c. 79 CE ) in his Natural History . Pliny relates in a few lines that the Essenes possess no money, had existed for thousands of generations, and that their priestly class (“contemplatives”) do not marry. Unlike Philo , who did not mention any particular geographical location of the Essenes other than the whole land of Israel , Pliny places them somewhere above Ein Gedi , next to the Dead Sea . Josephus later gave a detailed account of the Essenes in The Jewish War ( c. 75 CE ), with a shorter description in Antiquities of the Jews ( c. 94 CE ) and The Life of Flavius Josephus ( c. 97 CE ). Claiming firsthand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy alongside the Pharisees and the Sadducees . He relates the same information concerning piety , celibacy , the absence of personal property and of money, the belief in communality , and commitment to a strict observance of Sabbath . He further adds that the Essenes ritually immersed in water every morning, ate together after prayer, devoted themselves to charity and benevolence, forbade the expression of anger, studied the books of the elders, preserved secrets, and were very mindful of the names of the angels kept in their sacred writings. Pliny, also a geographer , located them in the desert near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. 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. : |work= ignored ( help ) cf. The Wars of the Jews . 2.119.

Jewish sect during the Second Temple period "Essene" redirects here. The Essene movement likely originated as a distinct group among Jews during Jonathan Apphus ' time, driven by disputes over Jewish law and the belief that Jonathan's high priesthood was illegitimate. Most scholars think the Essenes seceded from the Zadokite priests. They saw themselves as the genuine remnant of Israel, upholding the true covenant with God, and attributed their interpretation of the Torah to their early leader, the Teacher of Righteousness , possibly a legitimate high priest. Embracing a conservative approach to Jewish law, they observed a strict hierarchy favoring priests (the Sons of Zadok ) over laypeople, emphasized ritual purity, and held a dualistic worldview . According to Jewish writers Josephus and Philo , the Essenes numbered around four thousand, and resided in various settlements throughout Judaea . Conversely, Roman writer Pliny the Elder positioned them somewhere above Ein Gedi , on the west side of the Dead Sea. Pliny relates in a few lines that the Essenes possess no money, had existed for thousands of generations, and that their priestly class ("contemplatives") did not marry . Josephus gave a detailed account of the Essenes in The Jewish War ( c. 75 CE ), with a shorter description in Antiquities of the Jews ( c. 94 CE ) and The Life of Flavius Josephus ( c. 97 CE ). Claiming firsthand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy alongside the Pharisees and Sadducees . He relates the same information concerning piety , celibacy; the absence of personal property and of money; the belief in communality ; and commitment to a strict observance of Sabbath . He further adds that the Essenes ritually immersed in water every morning (a practice similar to the use of the mikveh for daily immersion found among some contemporary Hasidim ), ate together after prayer, devoted themselves to charity and benevolence, forbade the expression of anger, studied the books of the elders, preserved secrets, and were very mindful of the names of the angels kept in their sacred writings. The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls , which are commonly believed to be the Essenes' library. The scrolls were found at Qumran , an archaeological site situated along the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , believed to have been the dwelling place of an Essene community. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible along with deuterocanonical and sectarian manuscripts, including writings such as the Community Rule , the Damascus Document , and the War Scroll , which provide valuable insights into the communal life, ideology and theology of the Essenes. According to the conventional view, the Essenes disappeared after the First Jewish–Roman War , which also witnessed the destruction of the settlement at Qumran. 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. Some researchers suggest that Essene teachings could have influenced other religious traditions, such as Early Christianity and Mandaeism . אשל, חנן, "תולדות התגליות הארכאולוגיות בקומראן", בתוך: מנחם קיסטר (עורך), מגילות קומראן: מבואות ומחקרים, כרך א', ירושלים: יד יצחק בן-צבי. 2009, עמ' 9. (Hebrew) Cyprus), Saint Epiphanius (Bishop of Constantia in (2009). The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis: Book I (sects 1-46) . 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. : |work= ignored ( help ) cf. The Wars of the Jews . 2.119.

Jewish sect during the Second Temple period "Essene" redirects here. History Communities Population Denominations Orthodox Modern Haredi Hasidic Reform Conservative Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Science Haymanot Humanistic Culture Languages Hebrew Biblical Mishnaic Medieval Modern Bukharian Ghardaïa Sign Jewish Koine Greek Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Berber Judeo-Gascon Judaeo-Georgian Judaeo-Iranian Judeo-Italian Judeo-Malayalam Judaeo-Spanish Judeo-Tat Knaanic Shassi Yeshivish Yevanic Yiddish Zarphatic Politics Category Portal v t e The Essenes ( / ˈ ɛ s iː n z , ɛ ˈ s iː n z / ; Hebrew : אִסִּיִים ‎, ʾĪssīyīm ; Greek : Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi ) or Essenians were a mystic Jewish community during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The Essene movement likely originated as a distinct group among Jews during Jonathan Apphus 's time, driven by disputes over Jewish law and the belief that Jonathan's high priesthood was illegitimate. Most scholars think the Essenes seceded from the Zadokite priests. They attributed their interpretation of the Torah to their early leader, the Teacher of Righteousness , possibly a legitimate high priest. Embracing a conservative approach to Jewish law, they observed a strict hierarchy favoring priests (the Sons of Zadok ) over laypeople, emphasized ritual purity, and held a dualistic worldview . According to Jewish writers Josephus and Philo , the Essenes numbered around four thousand, and resided in various settlements throughout Judaea . Conversely, Roman writer Pliny the Elder positioned them somewhere above Ein Gedi , on the west side of the Dead Sea. Pliny relates in a few lines that the Essenes possess no money, had existed for thousands of generations, and that their priestly class ("contemplatives") did not marry . Josephus gave a detailed account of the Essenes in The Jewish War ( c. 75 CE ), with a shorter description in Antiquities of the Jews ( c. 94 CE ) and The Life of Flavius Josephus ( c. 97 CE ). Claiming firsthand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy alongside the Pharisees and Sadducees . He relates the same information concerning piety , celibacy; the absence of personal property and of money; the belief in communality ; and commitment to a strict observance of Sabbath . He further adds that the Essenes ritually immersed in water every morning (a practice similar to the use of the mikveh for daily immersion found among some contemporary Hasidim ), ate together after prayer, devoted themselves to charity and benevolence, forbade the expression of anger, studied the books of the elders, preserved secrets, and were very mindful of the names of the angels kept in their sacred writings. The Essenes have gained fame in modern times as a result of the discovery of an extensive group of religious documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls , which are commonly believed to be the Essenes' library. The scrolls were found at Qumran , an archaeological site situated along the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , believed to have been the dwelling place of an Essene community. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible along with deuterocanonical and sectarian manuscripts, including writings such as the Community Rule , the Damascus Document , and the War Scroll , which provide valuable insights into the communal life, ideology and theology of the Essenes. According to the conventional view, the Essenes disappeared after the First Jewish–Roman War , which also witnessed the destruction of the settlement at Qumran. 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. Some researchers suggest that Essene teachings could have influenced other religious traditions, such as Mandaeism , Jewish Christianity , and small group of Assyrians . אשל, חנן, "תולדות התגליות הארכאולוגיות בקומראן", בתוך: מנחם קיסטר (עורך), מגילות קומראן: מבואות ומחקרים, כרך א', ירושלים: יד יצחק בן-צבי. 2009, עמ' 9. (Hebrew) Cyprus), Saint Epiphanius (Bishop of Constantia in (2009). The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis: Book I (sects 1-46) . V, 17 or 29, in other editions V, (15).73. 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. cf. The Wars of the Jews . 2.119.