facts about the essenes

Who were the Essenes? The Essenes were a Jewish "sect" or school of philosophy with two branches: some were celibate, disdained marriage and adopted children; others believed that marriage and procreation were needed if the group was to continue and not disappear. They believed history was predestined, and their apocalyptic theology caused a division of good and evil in society. Qumran Chronicle 9 (2000): 1734. 6 of F. Altheim and R. Stiehl, The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Book I (Sects 146) Frank Williams, translator, 1987 (E.J. [67], 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 is why he perhaps was trained by the Essene community. Abstract. . The name "Essenes" comes from , the Greek form that Josephus uses most frequently and that Pliny Latinizes as Esseni. 1q, KARAITES (Heb. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, Discipline, Manual of This communal living has led some scholars to view the Essenes as a group practicing social and material egalitarianism. Jesus is greater than Joshua, because Jesus brings a greater rest to the people of God ( Heb 4:8-9 ). In their purifications and angelology, the Essenes present certain parallels with Persian thought, parallels more obvious in the dualism of the DSS. [37] Also, they were forbidden from swearing oaths[38] and from sacrificing animals. Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees, they lived a segregated lifestyle with very limited contact with those outside. A 2013 study sought to determine, by sophisticated methods, whether Khirbet Qumran was home to a Qumran community of sectarian Jews, the Essenes of Qumran. They acknowledged Moses and believed that he had received lawsnot this law, however, but some other. John the Baptist shocked his audience by his appearance: a camel-hair garment and a leather belt. 2029, and this is the middle of the Tribulation, we find some interesting facts about this day. ." This asceticism also manifested itself among those Essenes who were celibate. Characteristic of the Essenes was their moderation and avoidance of luxury, as evidenced in their eating and drinking habits, their clothing, and the fact that they did not anoint themselves with oil, a practice common among the Jews of the Greco-Roman period. Eschatological communities would order their beliefs and practices. BROWN, R. E. "Essenes When we pass do you think we are to be judged by what we believed or how we live. [31] This theory, though not yet conclusively proven, has come to dominate the scholarly discussion and public perception of the Essenes. The primary focus of the Modern Essenes today is a God-centered, ecstatic enlightenment, as was the inner circle of the Essenes in ancient times. We need to get out of the physical and get back into the spiritual and stop letting people control us with a belief which is religion, open your eyes to the light. They seem to have emerged as a distinct party, along with Sadducees and Pharisees, in the wake of the Hasmonean revolt, though all three probably have earlier roots. An ideal of celibacy marked their life, although Josephus (B.J. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes-0. Encyclopedia.com. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"oyySic88TXnOXiqssnc.9cIYUA_jnEMTMjVKWKp19sE-86400-0"}; There he briefly describes the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. Macuch, Rudolf A Mandaic Dictionary (with E. S. Drower). Beyond the Essene Hypothesis: The Parting of the Ways between Qumran and Enochic Judaism. The followers of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the Sadducees; and the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called Essenes. R. Macuch, "Anfnge der Mander. They had their midday meal together, with a grace recited by a priest before and after the meal. 25 Facts about the Dead Sea Scrolls. Frank Moore Cross's The Ancient Library of Qumrn and Modern Biblical Studies, rev. ." https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes, "Essenes James, Jesus' brother, served as the spiritual leader of the Essenes in Jerusalem. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Another form used by Philo and occasionally by Josephus is [symbol omitted]. 7591; Philo's lost Apology for the Jews as preserved in Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica 8.11.118 [K. Mras, Die greichischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte (Leipsig 1897) 43.1:455457 (1954)]; Flavius Josephus, Jewish War (hereafter B.J. ) [70], 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. Prayer and various types of work were compulsory. Each issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: Fascinating finds from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament periods, The latest scholarship by the world's greatest archaeologists and distinguished scholars, Stunning color photographs, informative maps, and diagrams, Reviews of the latest books on biblical archaeology, 45+ years of Biblical Archaeology Review, 20+ years of Bible Review online, providing critical interpretations of biblical texts. [30], Pliny locates them "on the west side of the Dead Sea, away from the coast [above] the town of Engeda". The writers who mentioned the Essenes are: Philo, Pliny, Dio Chrysostom, Josephus, Hippolytus and Epiphanius. The Essenes emerged as a separate sect after the. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong because I am not!!! Elders - Essenes - Herodians. They have been useful in understanding the history of the Hebrew Bible. Let the validation begin Among the numerous theories that have been proposed are the following: (1) the most popular is a derivation from (asidim, "pious"), a name used in i and ii Maccabees of those especially loyal to the Torah (there are also references in rabbinic literature). These last are Jews by birth, and seem to have a greater affection for each other than other sects have. Light of the Essenes with all the realms of existence of the Creation: not only the animals, plants and minerals but also the Angels, Archangels and Gods. Cansdale, Lena. The Teaching of Jesus the Essene Based on a primordial tradition, its own experience and known facts, the author reveals the two hidden sides of the other face of Jesus: - Its origin and its Essene formation. a. baudrillart et al. "Essenes [88]:94 Essene graves are oriented northsouth[89] and a Mandaean's grave must also be in the northsouth direction so that if the dead Mandaean were stood upright, they would face north. Josephus (B.J. They also professed belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin. [61][62][unreliable source?] They considered it unlawful to eat meat or make sacrifices with it. Peter W. Flint and James C. VanderKam, 2:487533. Their secluded desert community was dedicated to prayer and study in preparation for the return of the Messiah. [20], Some modern scholars and archeologists have argued that Essenes inhabited the settlement at Qumran, a plateau in the Judean Desert along the Dead Sea, citing Pliny the Elder in support and giving credence that the Dead Sea Scrolls are the product of the Essenes. He may have Visited, but some accounts say He acted out of charactor around the essenes. Herod excused the Essenes from swearing a loyalty oath because, in the view of Josephus (or his source), Menahem the Essene had foretold a lengthy reign for Herod (Antiquities 15.371378). Despite being a poor and largely powerless group, they had a significant amount of wealth and influence in Jerusalem. If you look at a tree just for its beauty you will totally forget its job . ), Life. Claiming firsthand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy[4] alongside the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 1. . [82]:552553 Another early self-appellation is bhiri zidqa meaning 'elect of righteousness' or 'the chosen righteous', a term found in the Book of Enoch and Genesis Apocryphon II, 4. Where Were the Old Testament Kings of Ancient Jerusalem Buried? Facts about Sadducees 2: the extinction In 70 CE, Herod's Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, which marked the extinction of Sadducees. Jesus wrote part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Answer The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. [28] Philo speaks of "more than four thousand" Essaioi living in "Palestine and Syria",[29] more precisely, "in many cities of Judaea and in many villages and grouped in great societies of many members". [73] Scholars such as Kurt Rudolph, Rudolf Macch, Mark Lidzbarski and Ethel S. Drower connect the Mandaeans with the Nasaraeans described by Epiphanius, a group within the Essenes according to Joseph Lightfoot. ." I. Jesus. [19] Pliny's Latin text has Esseni. He regarded the Therapeutae as a contemplative branch of the Essaioi who, he said, pursued an active life. Ezekiel later selected this family as . It's important to remember though: the Pharisees weren't some group of power hungry elite. B.C. No Hebrew cognate appears either in the Dead Sea Scrolls, taken by many scholars to be the writings of this sect, or in rabbinic literature (the Talmuds and midrashim ). , Serekh ha-Yaad; abbr. Essenes. Studying these spaces can help archaeologists answer the question "Who were the Essenes?" They also professed belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. community was Essenian. ESSENES . In a recent study about the Essenes of Qumran, archaeologist Eyal Regev used the tools of social archaeology to answer the question Who were the Essenes? Photo: Zev Radovan. (Garden City, N.Y., 1961), pp. The Qumran texts, however, envisage only occasional communal meals. Until the twentieth century, the Essenes were known only from Greek sources. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes-0, Schiffman, Lawrence "Essenes Stegemann, Hartmut. Brill, Leiden) ISBN 90-04-07926-2, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 06:57, cole Biblique et Archologique de Jrusalem, "Discovery and Acquisition, 19471956, Lawrence H. Schiffman, Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1994", "Essenes in Judaean Society: The sectarians of the Dead Sea Scrolls", "Scholar Claims Dead Sea Scrolls 'Authors' Never Existed", "St. John the Baptist - Possible relationship with the Essenes | Britannica", "The Essenes and the origins of Christianity", "BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: Lost and Hidden Christianity", "Odes of Solomon: Early Hymns of the Jewish Christian Mystical Tradition", "The Israelite Origins of the Mandaean People", "Sacred Text and Esoteric Praxis in Sabian Mandaean Religion", "The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness", "About the Links between the Dead Sea Scrolls and Mandaean Liturgy", "Jannaeus, His Brother Absalom, and Judah the Essene", Thematically compiled comparison of the parallels in the ancient sources, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Essenes&oldid=1141277119. Josephus (Antiquities 13.171173) first mentions the Essenes in his account of the reign of Jonathan the Hasmonean (r. 161143/2 bce). . [65], In the early church a book called the Odes of Solomon was written. This view has led many scholars to interpret the Greek texts describing the Essenes in light of the scrolls from Qumran, and the scrolls in light of the Greek texts, although the term Essene is absent from the Qumran scrolls. [90]:47[91], The beit manda (beth manda) is described as biniana rab -srara ("the Great building of Truth") and bit tuslima ("house of Perfection") in Mandaean texts such as the Qolasta, Ginza Rabba, and the Mandaean Book of John. 1 Comment. Their cult of the sun (B.J. [18], 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. Such studies tend to cherry-pick the evidence, ignoring any evidence that it was instead a Herodian fort or settlement, with graves laid out in distinctly non-Jewish fashion and a host of other evidence, such as that Livy placed the Essenes at Ein Gedi some 30 miles to the south. There are a lot more things you need to know than are things to belive in to be at peace in this slowly declining world. hundreds of coins giving terminus ad quem of 1st Cent. Then followed another period of trial (two years according to Josephus, but Qumran indications point to one year) before the candidates were fully accepted. Many researchers believe the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea scrolls. Apart from the mention of individual Essenes, however, Josephus states that they participated bravely in the war against Rome, and the discovery at Masada of some manuscripts that may have originated at Qumran, together with evidence of the Roman destruction of Qumran in about 68 b.c.e. ." introduction Although drawn from Jewish prophetic texts that spoke about the Day of Judgment,. Those wishing to enter had to wait before being given the emblems a belt, a white garment, and a hatchet for digging holes in the earth (whenever they wished to relieve themselves; ibid., 2:127; 148). In medieval Hebrew (e.g. [40] The Essenes chose not to possess slaves but served each other[41] and, as a result of communal ownership, did not engage in trading. ed. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Essene, IPA: [sin]) were a Judaic religious group that flourished from the second century B.C.E. Here especially, however, we must allow for the inexactitude of our sources. Traveling members were taken care of by special officers in each town. It is indeed topographically above the oasis, but is indeed the 'capital' of the Essenes. The Essenes seem to have eaten communal meals regularly. Among the supporters of the Machabean revolt of 167 b.c. It is one of the oldest religion of India. Epiphanius (4th century c.e.) On the other hand, it appears that in many cases this celibacy was embarked on later in life, after having had children, so that it was not absolute. In Part 1: The Ancient Dead Sea Scroll Calendar and the Prophecies it Reveals, a mysterious 364-day solar calendar used by Essenes and Christianity Attempts have been made to equate aspects of the beliefs of the Qumran community with the origins of Christianity. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1963. [39] They controlled their tempers and served as channels of peace,[38] carrying weapons only for protection against robbers. 23 Feb. 2023 . Later, they assembled for purification rituals and a communal meal that was prepared by priests and eaten while wearing special garments. An excellent read. The site bears less then 10 single room houses set around a . 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. Although the interpretation of the Qumran settlement is currently controversial, the site has generally been regarded as according well with the accounts of Essene lifestyle reported in the ancient sources, and this settlement has been understood either as a headquarters or a retreat center for the wider movement (Stegemann), or the home of a group that split off from the main body under the leadership of a figure named in the Qumran scrolls as the "Teacher of Righteousness." The Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to voluntary poverty, daily immersion, and asceticism (their priestly class practiced celibacy). The Manual of Discipline scroll emphasized no women were among Essenes, in any sort of desert sect, yet womens & childrens graves are found beside the Qumran watchtower, in violation of Jewish law. Visit the BAS Dead Sea Scrolls Page for dozens of articles on the scrolls significance, discovery and scholarship. ." In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. 6 ce; Antiquities 17.345348); clearly, the Essenes were known for their prediction of the future. Even after their disappearance as a separate group, the Essenes left their traces in Judaeo-Christian sects like the ebionites, perhaps in the Mandaeans (see mandaean religion), certainly in the Karaites. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Grand Rapids, Mich., 1998. Sadducees - Sanhedrin - Scribes - Zealots. [52], 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. Sefer Yosippon) Hassidim "the Pious" replaces "Essenes". Jesus is a greater priest than Aaron, because . This week revisit the Essene belief system, it is important that we know who they are and what they believed. 5. Encyclopedia of Religion. (You can read more about the Essenes here, here and here.) This group was noted for its piety and distinctive theology. Click and Collect from your local Foyles. [34] According to Josephus, they had customs and observances such as collective ownership,[35][36] electing a leader to attend to the interests of the group, and obedience to the orders from their leader. Numerous suggestions have been made regarding the etymology of the name, among which are derivation from Syriac ase ("pious"), Aramaic asayya ("healers"), Greek hosios ("holy"), and Hebrew ashaim ("silent ones"). [11][48] Part of their activities included purification by water rituals which was supported by rainwater catchment and storage. tetra biblos, our real power was all of the above, so we need to start teaching our children again all that was taken. This ark was the School of God, the Essene Nation whose sign of victory was given to it through a rainbow, the symbol of the union of heaven and earth, of the three invisible The Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript find of all time. If not, scholars would have to reckon with two sects having similar teachings and similar ways of life. ESSENES , a religious communalistic Jewish sect or association in the latter half of the Second Temple period, from the second century b.c.e. [58] Other scholars refute these argumentsparticularly since Josephus describes some Essenes as allowing marriage. With the destruction of the province of Judaea following in the wake of the unsuccessful uprising against Rome in 6674 ce, the Essenes disappear from the stage of history. (see hasidaeans.) Josephus says they made their own sacrifices, but Philo (Quod omnis 75) says that they did not sacrifice animals. The end product of the ferment mentioned above, combined with the great revolt of the Jews against Rome and the resulting destruction of the land, was rabbinic Judaism. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jesus is greater than the angels, because He is the divine King ( Heb 1:4, 6, 8 ). Bruce, Second Thoughts on the Dead Sea Scrolls. All of the documents recently found seem to align with there belief that a messiah would be born. Irregardless if Pope Benedict concluded a connection, this alone does not validate the non-canonical writings much less the intent. Flavius Josephus in Chapter 8 of "The Jewish War" states: 2. It is a beautiful thing to believe in an unbelievable world but make no mistake knowledge is the goal of every human being to attain. The chief authority among them was the Legislator (B.J. These were the Jewish aristocrats of their day, known as much for their wealth and corruption as for their religious devotion. Josephus names them as one of his three main Jewish parties (hairesis), and according to Philo, they numbered about 4,000. Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people. [1], The Jewish historian Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers; thousands lived throughout Roman Judaea. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. , ELEPHANTINE (Aram. In the chamber of , the "sin-fearing ones" used to depose their gifts "in secret" and impoverished gentlefolk could help themselves to these gifts, equally in secret. . (historical) A member of a first-century ascetic Jewish sect in ancient Palestine from the second century BCE to the second century CE. Sadducees. The Essenes, as a Jewish religious sect, disappeared from history around AD 70, after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Essenes lived frugal, usually celibate, lives, supporting themselves by manual labor, generally agricultural, and practicing common ownership. The *Dead Sea Scrolls are widely regarded as belonging to the Essenes and if so they extend our knowledge of them considerably. The main group of Essenes lived in community. Like the Pharisees, they stressed the need for personal piety and separation from the impurities of daily life, imposing on themselves levitical rules of purity: but while the Essenes (so Josephus) believed in the immortality of the soul, they rejected the Pharisaic doctrine of bodily resurrection. 23 Feb. 2023 . . After reading more from the book, WHO ARE THE ESSENES? A gateway and nearby district near Mt. Property was held in common and all details of daily life were regulated by officials. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes. conducted by Dolores Cannon. If something or someone is about peace then I say it is good and if it complements humanity, then again, I say is good. Those who qualified for membership were called upon to swear piety to God, justice toward men, hatred of falsehood, love of truth, and faithful observance of all other tenets of the Essene sect. Encyclopedia of Religion. Many scholars believe that this was a group called the Essenes. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In addition, the Essenes dispensed charity throughout the country, much of it to those outside their group. Technology has enabled us to spread the gospel all over the world within seconds. Facts about Sadducees 1: other sects The Essenes and Pharisees are the sects compared to the Sadducees. [85]:50[86] Mandaean scripture affirms that the Mandaeans descend directly from John the Baptist's original Nasoraean Mandaean disciples in Jerusalem. 2.8.13) mentions a group of Essenes who married. 53-54 AD). Most scholars claim they seceded from the Zadokite priests.[2]. This is now discarded, though it possibly fits with Josephus' statement that the Essenes sent offerings to the Temple, but offered sacrifices "by themselves" (' ). The name of Moses was held in high esteem, and the Essenes saw blasphemy of it as a capital crime. Thereafter new converts were allowed to take their noon and evening meals in silence with the others. Like the Pharisees, the Essenes meticulously observed the Law of Moses, the sabbath, and ritual purity. Some scholars believe there was an Essene community in Jerusalem, but many also sought refuge in the desert in order to escape the perceived corruption of the Temple leadership and practices. The Essenes were a religious and political group from Jerusalem's early history. Essenes had their communities, not only in Qumran, but in various towns. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes-0. They had a rigorous and lengthy system of initiation. The Essenes are said to have believed in absolute predestination. The Essenes According to the Classical Sources. [1] References White, L. Michael (April 1998). ." Download The Teaching of Jesus the Essene Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. The Essenes' observances of ritual purity, although paralleled at Qumran, were not uncommon among the sects of this period. Their fellow Jews (namely, the Sadducees, who also had a lot of influence) were disregarding oral tradition, which the Pharisees believed was handed down directly from God to Moses. [23] It is recognized as the etymology of the form Ossaioi (and note that Philo also offered an O spelling) and Essaioi and Esseni spelling variations have been discussed by VanderKam, Goranson, and others. b. rigaux, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de gographie ecclsiastiques, ed. In addition to popular Jewish eschatological texts as 1 Enoch and Jubilees, the Qumran community produced a number of works regarding the . Garca Martnez, Florentino, and Julio Trebolle Barrera. There monks follow still the same life style and Principles of Non violence in extreme form, travel from one city to another giving religious sermons. and the community of the Essenes atQumran. . In late 1946 or early 1947, Bedouin teenagers were tending their goats and sheep near the ancient settlement of. The book reflects a mixture of mystical ideas of the Essene community with Christian concepts. Many wealthy Jews were Sadducees or sympathized with them. Because as the Hebrew version of Josephus's Wars says he was called 'Rabbi John the . Other common elements were shared by the Essenes and samaritans. to the first century A.D. Of the three main religious groups mentioned by Josephus (a well known first century Jewish historian), they are the only ones not found directly in Scripture. These documents preserve multiple copies of parts of the Hebrew Bible untouched from possibly as early as 300 BCE until their discovery in 1946. Suggestions of Iranian and Hellenistic influence are possible but cannot be documented. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In the morning they contemplated the forces (angels) of Nature. . Where Is the Original Siloam Pool from the Bible? There is a wide diversity of opinion as to the etymology of the name "Essene." think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home Indeed, many parallels do exist between the sect described by the Greek sources and the seat of the scrolls from Qumran. 2.8.9); this might be Moses, or perhaps the Qumran Teacher. People People what is the big deal about a belief, I the belief is real or true then it can manifest into the physical world and if it is not then it can and never will appear in the physical world. [24] Others suggest that Essene is a transliteration of the Hebrew word ionim (ion "outside"), which the Mishnah (e.g. 3. The Essenes were experts in medicinal roots and the properties of stones, the healing powers of which they claimed to have derived from ancient writings. Extremely important is Morton Smith's "The Description of the Essenes in Josephus and the Philosophumena," Hebrew Union College Annual 29 (1958): 273313. Im troubled by the circular reasoning implicit in a study titled Essenes of Qumran, as if its a certainty that Qumran was ever used by Essenes for a scroll factory, or whatever the line of reasoning is. Many scholars and researchers believe that one of the main Essene establishments were near Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. As a matter of fact, Palestine in the Second Commonwealth period was replete with various sects and movements, each contributing to the religious ferment of the times. They lived lives of ritual purity and separation. Why is it that this topic is beyond objective study? They abstained from oaths, and blasphemy against God was punishable by death. most significant recent challenge to the Qumran-Essene hypothesis. The Essenes are believed to have been the authors of the Dead Sea scrolls. At the setting of the sun they recited prayers to God. The Essenes zealously studied the sacred books and had an interest in medicinal herbs. Those who were told to abstain from meats and practice the old law was asured by Paul it was not of God. 23 Feb. 2023 . Josephus relates that the Essenes were tortured by the Romans during the great revolt ( War 2.152 - 153); this may indicate further their participation in the war against the Romans. the spirit of words make doctors, lawyers ect and ect. Vermes, Geza; Goodman, Martin. or "doers (of Torah"); (5) from "breastplate": Josephus uses essen to refer to this item, and it also figures in the liturgy of the Qumran "Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice"; and (6) from the celibate priestly Essenas who ministered to Artemis at Ephesus (reported by Pausanius). Josephus (Ant. On the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls, they deemed themselves the only true Israel and regarded the religious observances of other Israelites, and especially in the Temple, as corrupt.