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Our first Essene Ezine discusses the topic: What is a Nazarene?He shall be called a Nazarene. ~Matt 2:23 Nazarene is the title by which Jesus and his followers werereferred to. The word 'Christian' was never used by Jesus or usedto describe those who followed him. In the New Testament book of Acts, Paul is tried in Caesarea, andTertullus is reported as saying: “We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, anagitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleaderof the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5, New Revised StandardVersion). It is clear that “Christian” was not the earliest term for thefollowers of Jesus, since Acts 11:26 reports its first use inAntioch – at a time and in a place at least 10 and possibly 20 ormore years after the death of Jesus. Many authors have argued that “Nazarene” was not just one term thatwas used, but the dominant term, and that it was also used todescribe Jesus himself. The chief argument for this claim rests onan interpretation of the way Jesus is referred to by the writers ofthe gospels. The original Greek forms of all four gospels call him,in places, “Iesou Nazarene” (e.g. Matthew 26:71; Mark 1:24, 10:47,14:67; Luke 4:34; John 17:5; Acts 2:22). Translations of the Bible, from the fifth century Vulgate on, havegenerally rendered this into a form equivalent to “Jesus ofNazareth.” However, it is not the only possible translation.Linguistically, “Jesus the Nazarene” would be at least as correct,and some critics have argued that it is more plausible given thatcity of Nazareth seems to have not existed at the time of Jesus; itis unmentioned in any contemporary history and it is not possibleto prove its early existence other than by reference to the gospels. The Vulgate does use a form equivalent to “Nazarene” in one verse(Matthew 2:23), where its reading is Nazaroeus (Nazoraios), buthere the original Greek has the word Nazarene on its own, withoutIesou. However we translate these verses from the gospels, the evidencefrom Acts 24 does support the claim that “Nazarene” was an earlyterm for the followers of Jesus. But it does not appear to havebeen the term most used by those followers: the earliest Christianwritings we have, the letters of Paul (which predate the gospels byten to forty years), use the phrase “followers of the way” or, byfar the most common, “the church.” Derivations of “Nazarene” Regardless of these issues of translation, it seems clear that theterm “Nazarenes” had at least some currency as a description ofsome followers of Jesus. What, therefore, does the word mean? Theword Nazarene might come from at least four different sources: 1) The place-name Nazareth, via the Greek form Iesou Nazarene; thisis the traditional interpretation within mainstream Christianity.In support of this interpretation is that Iesou Nazarene is appliedto Jesus in the Gospels only by those who are outside the circle ofhis intimate friends, as would be natural if a place-name wasmeant. However in Acts it is employed by Peter and Paul, andattributed by Paul to the risen Christ (Acts, 22:8). Matthew 2:23reads that “coming he dwelt in a city said by the prophets: That heshall be called a Nazarene,” though no convincing identification ofthe prophecy concerned has been brought forward, the phrasing againstrongly suggests that Matthew meant Nazarene to refer to a placename. 2) The word netzer meaning “branch” or “off-shoot.” This could inturn refer to the claim that Jesus was a “descendant of David,” orto the view that Jesus (or rather the teachings he or his followersadvocated) were an offshoot from Judaism. 3) The word nosri which means “one who keeps (guard over)” or “onewho observes”. 4) The word nazir which refers to a man who is consecrated andbound by a vow to God, symbolized by avoiding cutting his hair,eating meat or drinking alcohol. Such a man is usually referred toas a Nazirite in English translations, and there are a number ofreferences to Nazirites in the Old Testament. None of these interpretations is unproblematic. It is therefore,quite possible that “Nazarene” was simply a deliberate play onwords combining Nazirite with Essene. Nazarenes: Jewish Christians After the word “Christian” had become established as the standardterm for the followers of Jesus, there appear to have been one ormore groups calling themselves “Nazarenes”, perhaps because theywished to lay claim to a more authentic and/or a more Jewish way offollowing Jesus. Descriptions of groups with this title are given by the fourthcentury church father Epiphanius (flourished 370 CE), and Jerome.On the basis of their accounts, the Encyclopaedia Britannica of1911 stated definitely that the name Nazarenes specificallyidentified an obscure Jewish-Christian sect, existing at the timeof Epiphanius. Epiphanius gives the more detailed, though thoroughly disapproving,description, calling the Nazarenes neither more nor less than Jewspure and simple. He mentions them in his Panarion (xxix. 7) asexisting in Syria, Decapolis (Pella) and Basanitis (Cocabe). According to Epiphanius they dated their settlement in Pella fromthe time of the flight of the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem,immediately before the siege in 70 CE. He describes them as those”…who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease toobserve the old Law.” Epiphanius adds, however, that theyrecognized the new covenant as well as the old, and believed in theresurrection, and in the one God and His Son Jesus Christ. He cannot say whether their christological views were identicalwith those of Cerinthus and his followers, or whether they differedat all from his own. Jerome (Epistle 79, to Augustine), on the other hand, says thatthough the Nazarenes believed in Christ the Son of God, born of theVirgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rose again,desiring to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither the onenor the other. They used the Aramaic Gospel of the Hebrews, also known as theGospel of the Holy Twelve, but while adhering as far as possible tothe Mosaic economy as regarded circumcision, Sabbaths, vegetarianfoods and the like, they did refuse to recognize the apostolicityof Paul. (Jerome's Commentary on Isaiah, ix. I). Jerome's description, taken along with the name (cf. Acts 24:5) andgeographical position of the sect, strongly suggest that theNazarenes of the 4th century interacted with the Ebionites in spiteof Epiphanius' distinction. Earlier church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Origen and Eusebiusmention other groups who, to varying extent, accepted Jesus asMessiah while continuing to observe the Jewish Law. It is oftensuggested that these are the same as the groups identified byJerome and Epiphanius as Nazarenes. One such group were theEbionites, referred to in second century writings. There Epiphaniusdraws a comparative distinction between the Nazarenes and theEbionites. 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Today's Essene Ezine is in regards to The Life and Teachings of Jesus*According to the New Testament* Jesus was born in Bethlehem*. Galilee was his childhood home.* Jesus' mother was Mary. Two of the Gospels, Matthew and Luke,but not Mark or John, are interpreted to allege that Joseph wasJesus' foster father, and that Jesus' biological father was theHoly Spirit, who mystically caused Mary to conceive, giving rise toa virgin birth. The other two Gospels, Mark and John, make nomention of Joseph at all, but in their first chapters refer toJesus as the son of God. Nothing is certain about Jesus' childhoodor young adulthood*. Certain events are mentioned in the variousGospels, but there is no common agreement. The Gospel of Mark reports that Jesus had brothers, that he was”Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon,” andalso suggests that Jesus had sisters. The Jewish historian Josephusand the Christian historian Eusebius (who wrote in the 4th centurybut quoted much earlier sources now unavailable to us) refer toJames the Just as Jesus' brother. Some churches reject thisinterpretation, saying that they were Jesus' cousins, which theGreek word for “brother” used in the Gospels would allow. TheGnostic Acts of Thomas identifies the Apostle Thomas as Jesus' twinbrother. Other churches suggest that these were step brothers,children of Joseph and a previous wife who died before Mary wasbetrothed to him. This tradition probably originates with theProtevangelion of James, traditionally ascribed to James the Justand certainly dated sometime in the late 1st to middle of the 2ndcentury. Some have interpreted Gnostic texts like the Gospel of Philipto suggest that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. The RomanCatholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions do not record any wife ofJesus; the Roman Catholic hagiography of Mary Magdalene says thatshe traveled to France and lived the life of an ascetic. TheEastern Orthodox synaxarion says that she continued preaching theGospel in various places, eventually settling in Ephesus to workwith John the Evangelist. The Evangelists do not describe much of Jesus' life betweenbirth and the beginning of his ministry, except that as a youngteen he instructed the scholars in the temple. The apocryphalInfancy Gospels describe the child Jesus performing miraculousworks. The 19th-century Russian scholar Nicolai Notovich suggested,based on a document he claimed to see in a Ladakh monastery, thatJesus traveled the world, including India, as an adolescent andyouth, and was exposed to religious traditions such as Buddhism.However, the monastery Jesus is alleged to have studied at in Indiawas not built until the 16th century, and there is no independentevidence confirming the story. This theory is not consideredorthodox by any major Christian church. Jesus began his public ministry some time after he was baptizedby John the Baptist, who perhaps unwittingly inspired Mandaeanism.Jesus began preaching, teaching, and healing. There is no firmevidence for when his ministry started or how long it lasted. Thedetailed nature of Jesus' spiritual teaching cannot be fully agreedbecause accounts are fragmentary and because he made extensive useof paradox, metaphor and parable; making it unclear how literallyhe wished to be taken and precisely what he meant. Jesus did preach the imminent end of the current era ofhistory, in some sense a literal end of the world as people of histime knew it; in this sense he was an apocalyptic preacher bringinga message about the imminent end of the world the Jews knew. Jesus opposed stringent interpretations of Jewish law, andpreached a more flexible understanding of the law. His teachingsshow an inclination to following a teleological approach, in whichthe spirit of the law is more important than the letter of the law,and the Gospels record him as having many disagreements with thePharisees. Although the interpretations of the law by the Sadducees werein most cases much stricter than Pharisee interpretations of thelaw, and the Sadducees were the dominant authority at that time,yet the Gospels record no sign of Jesus having much disagreementwith their views (although it was, according to the Gospels, thepriests – aligned with the Sadducees – who ultimately arrestedJesus). A few modern scholars thus believe that Jesus may have beenan Essene (a sect with whom he shared many views); and that laterChristian transcribers cast him as an enemy of the Pharisees,because when Christians and Jews came into conflict in later yearsthe Pharisees had become the dominant sect of Judaism. This viewreceives some support in Acts of the Apostles, because Jesus'apostles were generally attacked by Sadducees but were sometimesprotected by Pharisee liberal interpretations of Jewish law. Jesus increasingly gained followers as his fame grew, thoughwithin his lifetime Jesus' core following remained no more than asmall religious sect. Jesus had by the time of his death taught anumber of his disciples or apostles to preach his teachings andperform faith healing to both Jews and Gentiles alike. In his role as a social reformer Jesus threatened the statusquo. He was unpopular with many Jewish religious authorities.According to the Gospels, this was because he criticised them, and,moreover, because some of Jesus' followers held the controversialand inflammatory view that he was “The Messiah”. It is not clearfrom strict analysis of the original Gospel texts that Jesus madethis claim about himself, but he did not deny it. Neither is itwholly clear to scholars that when Jesus spoke of being “Son ofGod” he meant this to be taken literally as Christians believe,rather than metaphorically in the sense that we are all children ofGod. Scholars currently suggest that whether Jesus claimed to be apolitical rebel or not, Jewish authorities would very likely havefeared that his activities would provoke a riot in Jerusalem -something Roman authorities absolutely forbade. Jesus came with his followers to Jerusalem during the Passoverfestival. He was involved in a public disturbance at the Temple inJerusalem when he overturned the tables of the moneychangers andbroke open the cages of animals to be sacrificed. At some pointlater, he was betrayed to the Jewish religious authorities of thecity – either the full council (Sanhedrin) or perhaps just the HighPriest – by one of his apostles, Judas Iscariot. The High Priest ofthe city was appointed by the government in Rome and the currentholder of the post was Joseph Caiphas. The Romans ruled the citythrough the High Priest and Sanhedrin, so often the Jewishauthorities of the city had to arrest people in order to obey Romanorders to maintain the peace. Jesus' disciples went into hidingafter he was arrested. Jesus was crucified by the Romans on the orders of PontiusPilate, the Roman Governor of Judea in Jerusalem. The Gospels statethat he did this at the behest of the Jewish religious leaders, butit may have been simply that Pilate considered Jesus' ability toincite public disturbance as a potential Messiah to be a threat toRoman order. Pilate was known as a harsh ruler who ordered manyexecutions for lesser reasons during his reign (then again, he'dbeen in trouble twice with his Roman superiors for being too harshin his rule). Furthermore, the plaque placed on the cross was usedby the Romans to detail the crime of the crucified individual. Inthe case of Jesus the plaque reads “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm”(INRI)–“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, indicating that Jesuswas crucified for the crime of rebelling against the authority ofRome by being declared the “King of the Jews”. All the Gospel accounts agree that Joseph of Arimathea,variously a secret disciple or sympathiser to Jesus, and possiblemember of the Sanhedrin, arranged with Pilate for the body to betaken down and entombed. According to most accounts Jesus' mother,Mary, and other women, notably a female follower of Jesus, MaryMagdalene, were present during this process. We hope you enjoyed The Essene
Ezine.Visit the Essene Discussion Forum athttp://www.essene.com/forum/index.phpToday's Essene Ezine is in regards to the New Testament Nazareans. The pre Christ sect of Mt. Carmel Nazareans brought forth John theBaptist and Yeshua (Essene Jesus). After this time they seem tohave been known, among Greek speaking Christian writers, asNasarenes. The Christian writer Epiphanius, probably for his ownpropoganda purposes, sought to differentiate between the Nasarenes,Nazarites and the Nazarenes. His agenda was to show that theNazarenes spoken of in the New Testament were identical to his ownGreco-Roman “Christian” cult and not at all identical to NazariteEssenes from Mt. Carmel whom he was hostile toward. Common sense, however, dictates that the Nasarenes who followedYeshua the Nasarene (Jesus of Nazareth) were one and the same withthe Nazarenes / Nazarenes spoken of in the New Testament (Acts24:5). Different authors, often speaking with different accents andeven languages, did not employ any form of universal spelling whenspeaking of Nazarenes. Hence one finds Nasarenes, Nazarenes,Nasarenes, Nasorenes, Nazaroi, Nazareaen, Nazarites, N'Tzrim, etc. These Nazarenes were also connected with the Jesseans in Egypt, andwith the later Ebionites after they fled to Pella. Eventually theseNasarenes, along with other Hebrew speaking groups who acceptedYeshua as Messiah, came to be known indiscriminately as “JewishChristians” by the Hellenistic Christians who were coming intopower through their pact with Rome. For a time, however, the center for all”Jewish-Christians”(Nasarenes) and all gentile Christians remainedin Jerusalem where they had their Nasarene Temple in the EsseneQuarter of the city. This is referred to as the golden, orvirginal, age of the church by some early authors. Jerusalem, andthe Aramaic speaking Nasarenes, remained the controlling center ofthe movement until the year 135 C.E.. By this 135 C.E. date thegentile Christians had gained enough power and numbers to oust thetrue Essene successors to Yeshua out of Jerusalem and appoint theirown anti-Essene leadership in Rome and elsewhere. Eusebius, in hisHistory of the Church, says that the 15th N'tzari Paqid (pope, lit.”Overseer” of the Nasarenes and all followers of Yeshua, both Jewand Gentile) was exiled with the other Jews from Jerusalem in 135C.E. “Some semblance of a Jewish Christian bishopric seems to havesurvived until the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132 C.E.” – IanWilson, Jesus, The Evidence “The N'tzarim vanished from history as a distinct group in 135C.E. when the 15th N'tzarim Pakiyd (leader, lit. 'Clerk') wasexiled with the other Jews from Jerusalem. Hellenistic RomanChristians seized this opportunity to install their gentile, Romeoriented, Christian bishop in his place – and in 135 C.E. theChristian church was born of Daniel's 4th beast: Rome (Daniel 7:23).”- Anonymous Once in power, those hostile to the original Nasarene Way beganlegislating against those who continued in the original form of”Christianity”. With the Synod of Elvira, held in 306 AD,prohibitions against eating, marriage, and sex between Christians &Jews were enacted in the Roman Empire. Even Jewish Christians wereincluded in this ban, which in effect entailed total exclusion ofall Essene Nasarene Christians from all social and religiousassociation with those in the growing gentile Pauline church.Despite these persecutions, surviving Nasarenes continued toexercise influence over many. In A.D. 318, the then Bishop of Rome (now known as PopeSylvester) is said to have met personally with eight Desposynileaders – each of whom presided over a branch of the Church – atthe Lateran Palace. They are reported to have requested (1) thatthe confirmation of Christian bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch,Ephesus and Alexandria be revoked; (2) that these bishoprics beconferred instead on members of the Desposyni; and (3) thatChristian churches 'resume' sending money to the Desposyni Churchin Jerusalem, which was to be regarded as the definitive MotherChurch.”Not surprisingly, the Bishop of Rome rejected these requests,stating that the Mother Church was now Rome and that Rome hadauthority to appoint her own bishops. This is said to have been thelast contact between the Judeo-Christian Nasarenes and thecoalescing orthodoxy based on Pauline thought.”- Baigent, Leigh & Lincoln, The Messianic Legacy In 323 AD many Nasarene orientated individuals begin to resurfacein history at Tabennesi, in southern upper Egypt, under SaintPachomius (ca. 292-346). In this remote locale, far from the centerof gentile Christianity, a cenobitic monastic system continued toflourish, bearing a strong relationship to ancient Essene monasticpatterns. The Nag Hammadhi Library, which includes the Nasarenelike gospel of Thomas, was buried in this area about this time whenthose with “unorthodox” scriptures were being arrested and killedby the henchmen of the Roman Church. Those with Essene leaningsbegin to go even more underground and their scriptures begin todisappear from public light as a consequence of such harsh laws. The 364 AD Council of Laodicea, in an attempt to wipe out originalNazoreans Essenes once and for all, decreed death for any JewishChristians who continued to observe the 7th day Sabbath aspracticed in the early church. Faced with certain death if they continued to live their religionany where within the huge expanse of the Roman Empire, it is notsurprising that historical references to true Nazoreanss becomemore and more scarce after this date. The Nazareans who followed only John the Baptist and rejected theNew Covenant of Yeshua continued on as a type of Nazaroi, andbecame the Mandaeans and possibly the Sampsaens and Sabians. Acritical survey of the Mandeaen's surviving scriptures, the RbaGinza, Book of John the Baptist, along with other works from othersects, such as the Ebionite Clementine Homilies, can help us betterunderstand the early environment and teachings of Mt. Carmel andthe Yeshua-following Nazoreans. 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Today's Essene Ezine is in regards to Mystical Mikveh Immersion. The Jewish Background of Christian Baptism by Ron Moseley, Ph. D.Jewish Mikveh “Baptism as a rite of immersion was not begun by Christians butwas taken by them from Jewish and pagan forms….” – Dr. MerrillTenney, the editor of the Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible The term mikveh in Hebrew literally means any gathering of waters,but is specifically used in Jewish law for the waters or bath forthe ritual immersion. Ancient sages teach that the word mikveh hasthe same letters as Ko(v)Meh, the Hebrew word for “rising” or”standing tall,” therefore we see the idea of being baptized”straightway.” The building of the mikveh was so important in ancient times it wassaid to take precedence over the construction of a synagogue. Onthe third day of creation we see the source of the word mikveh forthe first time in Genesis 1:10 when the Lord says, “…to the gathering (mikveh) of waters, He called seas.” Because of this reference in Genesis the ocean is still alegitimate mikveh to orthodox Jews. Tovelei Shaharit (Dawn Bathers) The Essenes were anciently known as regular practicioners of dailyimmersion. In the Talmud these daily Mikveh practicioners arecalled tovelei shaharit or “dawn bathers.”Not only Nasarenes, butseveral other Jewish groups observed ritual immersion every day toassure readiness for the coming of the Messiah. Epiphaniusmentioned one of these groups called Hemerobaptists which means”daily bathers” in Greek. The Clementine Homilies, or Recognitionsof Clement, tell us that Peter always washed, often in the sea,before dawn which was no doubt a custom of all Nasarenes of histime. This practice received great attention by early historicalwriters on the Essenes. Qumran is certainly filled with ritualbathing pools and one quite large community Miqvah has beenuncovered outside of the Essene Synagogue / Temple site in theEssene quarter of Jerusalem. Ancient dawn bathing Nasarenes used at least three forms ofBaptism, or mikveh purifications. We know this because thesurviving remnants of these Nasarenes, the Nasorai sect (Mandeans),still preserve these forms of this ancient Nasarene purificationrite once practiced and promoted by Yeshua (Jesus). They are thedaily Rishama Mikveh immersion, performed before dawn. The Tamashaimmersion, and the Masbuta immersion. The surviving Mandeanversions of these are: * RISHAMA BAPTISM: The first of the miqvah purificationsperformed is the rishama (signing), the priests presence is notrequired, such that each man or woman is his or her own priest orpriestess. This should be performed daily, and with covered head,just before sunrise after the evacuation of the bowels and beforeall religious ceremonies. * TAMASHA BAPTISM: The second, the tamasha, is a simple tripleimmersion in the river, again this is performed without the aid ofthe priest or priestess. In present Mandean tradition, it must beperformed by women after menstruation and after childbirth. Bothman and woman must perform this ablution immediately after sexualintercourse, it must be performed after touching a dead body, afternocturnal pollution or any serious defilement or contact with adefiled person, as impurity is contagious – a person touching anunclean person, himself becomes unclean. These practices arerelated to the ritual purity laws of the Jews and were no doubttaught and practiced to some degree, and after their own fashion,by early Nasarenes (See Clementine Homiless). In the Qumran TempleScroll, the first of the regulations concerning people who wereexcluded from the holy temple precincts concerned a man who had anocturnal emission. He was not permitted to re-enter “until threedays have passed. He shall wash his garments and bathe on the firstday, and on the third day he shall wash his garments and bathe, andafter sunset he shall enter the sanctuary.” * MASBUTA BAPTISM: The third ablution, or 'full baptism',encompasses all aspects of baptism and must be performed by apriest or priestess. This ablution is known as masbuta (maswetta)includes the sacraments of oil, bread (known as pihtha) and water(from the river only, known as mambuha), the kushta (the hand graspand kiss) and the final blessing by laying the right hand of thepriest or / and priestess on the head of the baptised person. Themasbuta should take place on the first day of the week, inassociation with major initiations and after major or shamefuldefilement's. Major sins such as theft, murder, and adulteryrequire more than one baptism. The modern B'nai-Amen version of these three immersions are: * RISHAMA MIKVAH: This is a daily pre-dawn self-immersion. * TAMASHA MIKVAH: This is the weekly immersion held at theoutset of the lunar Sabbath. It is a three-fold self immersionduring the Sangha refuge. * MASBUTA MIKVAH: This is the special Shekinah Day baptismceremony held anually and semi-annually. It is performed jointly byone's Godmother and Godfather (i.e. Spiritual Guardians). Non-Essene Mikveh Traditions The rabbinical tradition attributes, in its Mishnah, to Ezra adecree that each male should immerse himself before praying orstudying. Immersion was so important among the Pharisees that itoccurred before the high Priest conducted the service on the Day ofAtonement, before the regular priests participated in the Templeservice, before each person entered the Temple complex, before ascribe wrote the name of God, as well as several other occasions.Essene & Pharisee Temple Mikvaot The New Testament tells us that many of the early church's dailyactivities were centered around the Essene Temple. Historically, weknow that there were also many ritual immersion baths (mikvaot) onthe Bloody Temple Mount including one in the Chamber of Leperssituated in the northwest corner of the Court of Women (Mid. 2:5).Josephus tells us that even during the years of war (66-73 A.D.)the laws of ritual immersion were strictly adhered to (Jos. Wars,4:205). Herod's Temple itself contained immersion baths in variousplaces for the priests to use, even in the vaults beneath the court(Commentary to Tam. 26b; Tam. 1:1). The High Priest had specialimmersion pools in the Temple, two of which are mentioned in theMishnah. We are told one of these was in the Water Gate in thesouth of the court and another was on the roof of the Parva Chamber(Mid. 1:4; Mid. 5:3). There was an additional place for immersionon the Mount of Olives which was connected with the burning of thered heifer (Par. 3:7). A special ramp led to the mikveh on theMount of Olives from the Temple Mount, which was built as an archedway over another arched way to avoid uncleanness from the graves inthe valley below. Recent archaeological excavations have found 48different mikvaot near the Monumental Staircase leading into theTemple Complex.Rabbinical Mikveh Use According to non-Essene Jewish law there are three basic areaswhere immersion in the mikveh is required. * Immersion is required for both men and women when convertingto Judaism. There were three prerequisites for a proselyte cominginto Judaism: Circumcision, baptism, and sacrifice (Maimonides,Hilkh. Iss. Biah xiii. 5). Essene Law also included conversionimmersion, but not circumcision or animal sacrifice.* Immersion is required after a woman has her monthly period(Lev. 15:28). Essene Law also included immersion for some forms ofsexual pollution, but not all sexuallity was considered defiling.* Immersion is required for pots and eating utensilsmanufactured by a non-Jew (Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion p-263).Essene Law also included utensil immersion.* It is customary to be immersed in the mikveh before YomKippur as a sign of purity and repentance and before the Sabbath inorder to sensitize oneself to the holiness of the day. There are six descending orders of Mikveh spoken of in thenon-Essene Mishnah (Oral Law), the highest being that of a springor flowing river, such as the Jordon. Nasurai (Mandean) texts tellus that this was considered the highest form of Mikveh amongNasarenes as well. The six non-Essene restrictions on the water used in the mikvehco
me from the corrupt Leviticus 11:36 text. They are: * The mikveh can not contain other liquid besides water.* The water has to be either built into the ground or be anintegral part of a building attached to the ground.* The mikveh can not be flowing except for a natural spring,river or ocean.* The water can not be manually drawn.* The water can not be channeled to the mikveh by anythingunclean.* The mikveh must contain at least 40 sa'ah or approximately200 gallons of water. (Rabbi Yitzchok ben Sheshes said the amountof 40 sa'ah was derived from the idea that the largest normal humanbody has a volume of 20 sa'ah, therefore the amount of water neededto “nullify” this body is double this amount or 40 sa'ah.) Purpose To the ancient Jews, both Essene and non-Essene, the mikveh was aprocess of spiritual purification and cleansing, especially inrelation to the various types of Turmah or ritual defilement whenthe Temple was in use. We learn from the Clementine Homilees thatPeter practiced daily pre-dawn Mikveh immersion. We may infer fromthis that all Nasarenes, including Yeshua and Maria, also practiceddaily purifications. The orthodox (Rabbinic Judaism) clasifiesMikveh laws under the Chukim group: Mishpatim Laws: The moral or ethical laws that are necessary forman to live in harmony are known as Mishpatim and are literallytranslated judgments.Edos Laws: The rituals and festivals which reawaken us to importantreligious truths such as Sabbath, holidays, the Tefillin and theMezuzah that remind us of God's presence are known as Edos and areliterally translated witnesses.Chukim Laws: The third group often has no explicit reason given fortheir existence except for Israel's identification as God's chosenpeople to the other nations (Deuteronomy 4:6). This group of lawsare known as Chukim and are literally translated as decrees. Amongthe decrees of this group are the dietary laws as well as ritualimmersion.Squatting Immersion In ancient times immersion was to be performed in the presence ofwitnesses (Yebam. 47b). The person being baptized made specialpreparations by cutting his nails, undressed completely and made afresh profession of his faith before the designated “fathers of thebaptism” (Kethub. 11a; Erub 15a). This is possibly where churches,sometime later, got the term Godfathers. The individual stoodstraight up with the feet spread and the hands held out in front.The candidate would totally immerse themselves by squatting in thewater with a witness or baptizer doing the officiating. Note theNew Testament points out the fact that Jesus came up straightwayout of the water (Matthew 3:16). The concept of immersion in rabbinic literature is referred to as anew birth (Yeb. 22a; 48b; 97b; Mass. Ger. c.ii). Note six otherimportant aspects of ancient rabbinic Jewish immersion: 1. Immersion was accompanied by exhortations and benedictions(Maimonides Hilkh. Milah iii.4; Hilkh. Iss, Biah Xiv .6). A convertwould reafirm his acceptance of the Torah by declaring, “I will doand I will hear” which was a phrase from the oath that wasoriginally taken by the priests not to forsake the Torah(Deuteronomy 29:9- 14). Mandeans had a similar saying they wereknown to utter at such times. This ritual demonstrates thewillingness of the convert to forsake his Gentile background andassume his Jewish identity by taking on the status of one who keepsthe commandments. According to a number of Jewish sages, mayim, which is the Hebrewword for water, shares the same root as the word “mah”, meaning”what.” This teaching points out that when a person immerses inwater, he is nullifying the fleshly ego and is asking, “what am I?”in the same manner that Moses and Aaron did in Exodus 16:7 whenthey said to the Lord, “we are what?” 2. The Jewish baptism candidates were often immersed three times.The idea of total immersion comes from the Scripture in Leviticus15:16 when it says, “he shall wash all his flesh in the water.” Onereason it was customary to immerse three times was because the wordmikveh occurs three times in the Torah. We know this to have beenan early Nasarenes practice under Yeshua. 3. According to Jewish law the immersion had to have a requiredwitness. Dr. William LaSor in the Biblical Archaeology Review saysapparently the Biblical phrase “in the name of” was an indicationof the required witness. In several New Testament references suchas I Corinthians 1:13, 15; Matthew 21:25; Acts 1:22; and Acts 19:3we see early baptism mentioned in conjunction with the name ofindividuals such as John and Paul. Further information on this canbe found in Jewish literature concerning proselyte baptism where itindicates his baptism required attestation by witnesses in whosename he was immersed. 4. The immersion candidate was not initially touched by thebaptizer in Yeshua's (Jesus') day. Because Leviticus 15:16 says “Heshall wash all his flesh in the water,” Rabbinical Judaism stressesthat the entire body must come in contact with the water of themikveh. To insure the immersion was valid, no clothing orindividuals could touch the candidate. Any such intervention thatprevented the water from reaching a part of the body was known asChatzitzah and rendered the immersion invalid. Although the mikvehwas more spiritual than physical, often the bath had two sets ofsteps, one entering and another leaving so as not to defile whathad been purified. We know from Mandean tradition, and also Cyrilof Jerudalem, that early Nasarene baptisms were performed withoutrestricted clothing. Once relativily pure from preliminary selfimmersions, catecumens could be touched by the oficiating Priestand Priestess for full Baptism. 5. The baptismal water (Mikveh) in rabbinic literature was referredto as the womb of the world, and as a convert came out of the waterit was considered a new birth separating him from the pagan world.As the convert came out of these waters his status was changed andhe was referred to as “a little child just born” or “a child of oneday” (Yeb. 22a; 48b; 97b). We see the New Testament using similarJewish terms as “born anew,” “new creation,” and “born from above”,although among Nasarenes one was seen as born anew and separatedfrom the non-Essene world, and among B'nai-Amen the immersion meantseparation from all the world, including the unconsecrated Nasarenes. 6. Jewish law requires at least three witnesses made up ofqualified leaders to be present for certain immersions (Yebam 47b).Ordinarily a member of the Sanhedrin performed the act of observingthe proselytes immersion, but in case of necessity others could doit. Secret baptism, or where only the mother brought a child, wasnot acknowledged. Essene law had similar injunctions. The Jerusalem Talmud states, “nothing can stand before repentance”(Yebamos 47b). According to Dr. David Flusser, the Dead Sea Scrollsas well as the New Testament teach that water can purify the bodyonly if the soul has first been purified through repentance andrighteousness. The Jews believe that uncleanness is not physical, but rather aspiritual condition as related in Leviticus 11:44 where it statesby wrong actions one can make the “soul unclean.” Therefore, thepurification through ritual immersion, as commanded in Essenetradition, and rabbinical scripture, is basically involved with thesoul, rather than the body. In rabbinical tradition, water andblood symbolism intertwine. In true Essene tradition, purificationcomes thru the Earthly Mother and her consecrated elements ofearth, water, air and fire. There are two types of each of thesefour elements, making eight consecrated substances used forpurification among the B'nai-Amen. The are Grain and Salt (Earth);Water and Oil (Water); Ash and Spirit (Air), and Incense and Wine(Fire).Associated with these 8 substances are eight everyday cleaningagents: Corn Starch and Borax (Earth); Water and Soap (Water);non-phosphate Detergent/Washing Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide (Air),and Aromatics and Vinegar (Fire). We hope you enjoyed The Essene Ezine.Visit the Essene Discussion Forum athttp://www.essene.com/forum/index.phpToday's Essene Ezine is about the Jewish Christians. Gentile, Jews & Essenes Originally there was only one type of “Christ disciple” – theEssene Nazarean family and followers of Yeshua. They had a verystrong and unique “Essene” culture. They also had their own set ofscriptures, different from the New Testament canon we know today.This original Nazarean Family had various levels and degrees ofinitiation and purification associated with it. Those on the outerprobationary levels retained many of their former customs andbeliefs, including gentile and Jewish ones, while those initiatedinto deeper levels became well versed in deeper Essene doctrines. It appears that these early Nazareans were a Christ centeredexpression of the ancient Nazarites and a continuation of theancient Essene Nazareans spoken of by Epiphanius, althoughEpiphanius himself is reluctant to admit this fact. It is alsoprobable that these New Testament Nazarenes accepted both gentileand Pharisee Jews, along with many of their customs and variedbeliefs, into the outer fringes of their society. Being the mostviable and growing sect of their time, these Nazarenes eventuallybecame the melting pot, especially after the fall of Jerusalem in68 A.D., for a wide array of converts from all seven of the ancientJewish sects, several Samritan sects, numerous gnostic andPythagorean groups, as well as converted and semi-converted Romanand Greek pagans. “Galatians 2:1 states that it was another 14 years beforePaul went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and so we have a total of17 years prior to the the meeting [with the apostles]. If we takethe first 13 years as noted above, of pre-Pauline Christianity, andadd the 17 years between Paul's vision and the Jerusalem Councilmeeting, we see that Christianity had a solid Jewish foundation ofthree decades — thirty years — before the question of admissionof Gentiles was considered!”- Miryam Nathan, “Acts, the Jews and the Torah” Eventually a second and third type of “Christ disciple” evolved- the gentile Christians and the Jewish Christians. This second andthird type tended to be non-jewish, or Pharisee Jewish, and wereeventually unconnected with the original followers of the Messiah.They tended to have either Roman, Pharisee or Hellenic backgroundsand they tended to put great trust in the writings and doctrines ofeither Paul on the one hand, or the false Torah and Phariseecustoms on the other. Their descendants did not like the originalNazareans very much and prefered a different non-essene culture andnon-nazarean approach to their spiritual matters. The more numerous gentile Christians set about redefining themission and role of Yeshua the Messiah, recasting Him in the lightof their Greek and Roman dying and resurrecting god myths. TheNazareans, or “Jewish-Christians” as some of them were eventuallycalled by the Romanized Christians, did not appreciate thisdistortion of their Teachers of Righteousness. These Nazareans didnot accept the writings and doctrines of Paul, nor did they takemuch account of the Gospels which found their way into the NewTestament bible. Instead, they used the Gospel of Hebrews whichdenied, among other things, the Roman version of the virgin birth.(Their own version was no less holy, but it included Joseph as aparticipant) “…Modern theological studies suggest that the NewTestament's two letters of Peter, the second speaking unctuouslyand unconvincingly of 'our brother Paul…so dear to us' (2 Peter3:15), were most likely forged in Peter's name by some pro-Paulinewriter, and that other letters attributed to Paul, notably thePastorals, were fabricated to create a false impression of harmony.Recent computer tests have clearly confirmed what theologicalscholars have long suspected, that whoever wrote Paul's letters toTimothy and Titus was not the person [indisputably Paul) who wroteGalatians, Romans and Corinthians.”- Ian Wilson, Jesus, The Evidence This original group of Nazarean disciples had firsthandknowledge of what Yeshua had taught and stood for, and were holdingto the original vision. The non-nazarean “Jewish-Christians” andthe “Gentile Christians”, on the other hand, did not have or wantthe firsthand knowledge possessed by the original Nazareans, butinstead prefered creating their own myths concerning the Christ.This led to conflict and eventual persecution of the Nazareans. Themore powerful and numerous gentile Christians eventually removedmost vestiges of the original Nazarean Way from their gentilegospel, and what little was left of the original Nazarean Way wasonly partially preserved by the monastic orders which slowely beganto arise as the Nazareans were persecuted into extinction. When they rewrote history, it appears that these Christiansassociated the original Essene-Nazarean disciples and theirdescendents with the semi-converted Pharisee Nazorenes and theirremnants, refering to both groups as “Jewish Christians”, castingthem in the light of narrow minded Pharisee Jews incapable of fullyaccepting their Christ. These true Essene Nazareans would not accept the gentile's”Christ”, or the gentile “New Testament”, because they knew bothhad been tampered with, altered and remade in the image of theRoman Gods. The confused Pharisee Nazorenes accepted the gentile'sChrist and Bible, but clung tenaciously to many false Phariseecustoms and laws. Eventually the true Essene Nazarean remantsgravitated to various monastic orders in upper Egypt and elsewhere.In these monastic worlds they were able to preserve some of theiroriginal traditions, but also were forced to compromise on manyissues. The uncompromising Pharisee-like Nazorenes faded fromhistory as their monastic cousins blended more completely with theRome centered new Christianity. “Conceptions of the messianic orientation of the Jerusalemchurch based on the foundational revelation of Jesus' resurrection,as well as conceptions of the role, authority and positions of itsleading members are likely to reflect the internal disputes andcompeting claims for legitimation of individuals and communitiesengaged in a mission to Gentiles beginning in the late forties andthe decade of the fifties….This view of a foundational revelationto the leaders of the community in Jerusalem ascribing to them asuperior authority and status may turn out to be in large part adiaspora version of beginnings in the homeland designed to supporta mission to Gentiles among different factions of Jewish andGentile Christians in the Hellenistic cities of the diaspora.”- Merrill Miller, “Beginning From Jerusalem…” It is important to understand that the Nazarean's “jewishness”is not the jewishness which modern people associate with Judaism.Modern Rabbinic Judaism is an evolvement of the Pharisee sect ofancient Judea. Nazareans were from the Essene Nazarean Sect. Theydid not accept either the Old Testament, the Jerusalem Temple, theanimal sacrifices, or even the celebration of Passover as we knowof it today. They, therefore, are not correctly understood by themodern label of “jew”. The ancient Nazareans were more akin to theOsseaen sect, which may be partially understood by studying theDead Sea Scroll documents and historian reports, such as Josephusand Philo, on the Essenes. (The later Nazorenes, spoken of by Epiphanius as totally Jewishand accepting of the Torah and other practices rejected by earlierNazareans and Nazarenes, were probably a remnant of Phariseeconverts who never fully gave up their old beliefs and customs whenbecoming outer level Nazareans. Epiphanius' report of laterNazorene beliefs is therefore probably inaccurate if applied toearlier Nazareans, being based on a later group descended from onlysemi-converted Nazorenes of the post-pella period. (Epiphaniushimself admits that in the beginning all followers of Jesus, evennon-jewish ones, were called Nazorenes.) In the same light, theeventually dominant Roman Church were probably descended from onlypartially converted gentiles on the outer fringes of the originalNazorene Way who never sluffed off their Hellenistic customs infavor of t
he full Nazorene-Essene lifestyle) Conclusion Due to rapid growth and a general “diaspora” dispersion due topersecution and other factors, original Nazarean quickly dividedinto numerous and varied factions and groups. The small centralcore of original Yeshua's disciples, attempting to live a pureEssene communal life, were quickly outnumbered by vast conversionsfrom non-essene circles. These gentile converts, with their Romanand Greek customs and lifestyles, eventually rejected the originalNazarean Way in favor of their own adaptation and revision of theoriginal Gospel. When they gained political power they rewrotehistory and the New Testament in a manner fitting their owndivergent views and lifestyles, rendering it only a shadow of itsoriginal glory. They sucessfully destroyed, or drastically altered,most of the original writings and customs of the earliestdisciples. This fulfiled a prophecy that the Times of the Gentileswould hold sway until an eventual resurgence and return of the trueIsraelite (Essene Nazarean Ebionite) Way. We hope you enjoyed The Essene Ezine.Visit the Essene Discussion Forum athttp://www.essene.com/forum/index.phpThe original Essenes were esoteric but not really gnostic. They still believed in the written Torah.
Quote (Towshab @ Jan. 04 2008,15:43) The original Essenes were esoteric but not really gnostic. They still believed in the written Torah.
There are more than one branch of Essenes and not all Essenes believed Torah. Many thought it corrupted.Quote (Son of Light @ Jan. 03 2008,23:04) Quote (Towshab @ Jan. 04 2008,15:43) The original Essenes were esoteric but not really gnostic. They still believed in the written Torah.
There are more than one branch of Essenes and not all Essenes believed Torah. Many thought it corrupted.
According to historical evidence, you are wrong. Again, you are looking to a modern sect going by the same name.Gaza Vermes is an expert on the DSS. He was raised Catholic but during his study of the DSS, he returned to the religion of his birth, Judaism. Obviously Mr. Vermes did not see what you seem to be seeing.
Whatever Happened to the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Dr. MARTIN A. LARSON
Presented at the 1981 Revisionist Conference.
After listening to so many magnificent talks on Revisionism, I wonder whether my subject has any real relevance. But it does deal with an historical distortion and cover-up of the first magnitude and I hope you will find it interesting and constructive.I was brought up in a very religious family, but at an early age I had begun to question some of the teachings that were given to me in my boyhood. And I remember how I questioned the minister of our church when I was reading for confirmation at the age of fifteen concerning some of the atrocities committed by the Jews after they left Egypt, under the leadership of Moses, and according to the story of the Old Testament, invaded Palestine, attacked the inhabitants there, took their property, and drove them from their homes with the help of their God, Jehovah. My interest in religion continued unabated over the years. And thus it was that when I wrote my Ph.D. thesis at the University of Michigan, it dealt with Milton's theology — particularly his Trinitarian concept — and I published a book on the subject in 1927. But then for many years I had no opportunity to study religion or, in fact, anything else. But soon after the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, I retired from active business and could then devote myself to study. I therefore plunged into research of the Scrolls, and in due course, published a book on the subject called the Essene Heritage. And so, the authors of the Scrolls, the Essenes, their writings and their impact on history has been a subject of consuming interest to me for many years.
The Origin and Development of the Cult
Let us first summarize some of the known facts concerning the Dead Sea Scrolls and their authors, the religious organization known as the Essenes (they were also called The Holy Ones, the Poor Men, the Sons of Light, etc.) and who existed in Judaea and the nearby desert from about 192 B.C. to the date of their extinction and destruction in 69 or 70 A.D., when the Roman armies marched through Palestine and finally destroyed Jerusalem. This cult is probably unique as an historical phenomenon; throughout its existence, it was opposed to the Jewish authorities; although it accepted the Scriptures which constitute the Old Testament, it revised, rewrote, or completely reinterpreted them. Also, what is even more significant than important, they gradually absorbed various elements from other sources, such as Zoroastrianism and Pythagoreanism. As a result, they prepared an entire corpus of original scripture which was not only a definite departure from official Judaism, but in basic contradiction to, and a repudiation of, this system of doctrine and ritual.At the beginning, the cult was simply a reaction against the Hellenizing of Jewish life under Greek domination, but shortly thereafter, it split into two well-defined factions, one of which developed into later Essenism and the other into the Pharasaic movement which produced the Rabbinical priesthood, who, to this day, constitute the official spokesmen for Judaism. By 143 B.C., as we learn from josephus, three distinct groups had been fully developed in the Jewish population: they were the Essenes, the Pharisees, and the Saducees, of whom the last represented the wealthy, upper-class Jews, who had embraced Epicureanism as their philosophy.
In 134 B.C., Hyrcanus, the only surviving son of Judas Maccabaeus, became king of an independent Israeli nation and ruled until the year 104. In the next year, Alexander jannaeus assumed the throne and ruled until 78, after which his widow, Helene, or Salome Alexandra, served as Queen Regent until the year 76, when her two sons, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, after taking over, fought each other in a bloody internecine conflict for the possession of power, until the year 64, when Pompey the Roman general invaded Palestine and reduced the Jewish nation into a Roman province under puppet rulers and procurators, who continued until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Original Cultic Scriptures
During the period from 192 to 60 B.C., the Essenes produced a great corpus of literature under the inspiration of leaders known from generation to generation as The Teacher of Righteousness, he was also called the Holy Great One, and was given other titles signifying revelatory powers as direct conduits of messages from the Supreme God of the Universe, who, by the way was something quite different from Jehovah, the tribal god of the Jews. Extremely interesting is the fact that two very important documents — The Book of Enoch and The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs – were well known among the early Christians and accepted by them as sacred literature of their own. Scholars had no suspicion that these, although widely used in later periods, were produced by the Essenes until the scrolls were discovered near the Dead Sea in 1947. Since hundreds of fragments of these documents were found in the caves, it became obvious that they were among the very important scriptures composed and used by the Essenes themselves.Persecution and Separation
Whatever else we may consider as firmly established, it is certain that under the reign of Hyrcanus, who was affiliated with the Pharisees previous to 104 B.C., there was persistent persecution of the Essenes, partly because of doctrinal deviations but perhaps even more because of their condemnations of the Jewish authorities, who frequently invaded neighboring territories and forced people there to accept Judaism and circumcision on pain of persecution and even of death. Thus it was that about 104 B.C., as we learn from Josephus, the Essenes became an esoteric mystery-cult with its own communes, its own code of laws, discipline, and organization, which included a total withdrawal and separation from all public activity. As a result, it became the depository of total religious commitment, living in expectation of the day, not very far in the future, when an all-powerful divine personage would appear, send all their Jewish persecutors into everlasting torture in hellish dungeons under the surface of the earth, and establish the kingdom of the saints, (the Sons of Lightj with its capital in Jerusalem.Under Alexander Jannaeus, who ruled from 103-78 B.C., this hostility and persecution intensified. The Essene documents written during this period are filled with the fiercest denunciations of the Jewish priests and authorities, who not only raided the communes of the Holy Ones and decimated their membership, but were also guilty of constant acts of aggression against their innocent and unoffending neighbors. I know of no other literature replete with comparable condemnations of acts of violence committed without provocation. The documents in our possession which contain this material are The Habakkuk Commentary, Parts IV and V of the Book of Enoch, and various statements found in The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the original portions of which were composed while Hyracanus was king.
This situation seems to have continued under Queen-Regent Alexandra and her two sons between 78 and 64, when the independent Jewish state was suddenly terminated by the interposition of Roman authority. It is interesting to note that Herod the Great, the puppet Roman ruler of Israel from 39 to 4 B.C., was an Idumaean who had converted to Judaism and was therefore know as a half-Jew.
At all events, it is certain that the tension between the Essenes and the government was, if anything, more fierce under Jannaeus than it had ever been before. As we have noted, they became a secret brotherhood in 104 in order to avoid total extermination; in spite of this, however, their persecution continued; with their members under solemn vows of secrecy, their organization survived and, in time grew, especially under the comparatively mild regimen which followed the conquest of Judaea by Pompey in 64.
The Execution of the Rabb
is
Josephus relates that Jannaeus, who had at first espoused the Pharisees, later went over to the Sadducees; and when the former were accused of conspiring with the Syrians to subvert the government, Jannaeus had 800 leading rabbis crucified at one time; and, as they hung on their “trees” or crosses, he had his soldiers cut the throats of their wives and children as he himself feasted at a great banquet with his concubines and his favorites. This had been doubted by many until the fact was confirmed by the publication of a Dead Sea Scroll fragment which related precisely the same facts.The Execution and Deification of the Teacher
The climactic event in Essene history occurred in 70 or 69 B.C. Although all the details of this will probably be known only if more Scrolls are published, certain facts are known. At that time, the Teacher of Righteousness- that is, the Essene leader-went boldly into Jerusalem and there, in the very temple itself, he proclaimed and condemned the lawless corruption and aggressions of the priests and authorities who ruled in Israel. He was therefore seized and executed, by what means is not certain, but some scholars believe that he was crucified.Shortly thereafter, the persuasion developed among his followers-until it became actual dogma-that he was the Most High God of the Universe Himself who had appeared for a time as a man among men; that he died a sacrificial death for the redemption of sinners; that he had risen from the grave on the third day; that he had returned to his throne in heaven; and that, before the end of the then-existing generation, he would send a representative to the earth. This representative would in due course be invested with unlimited power and would terminate the present dispensation, conduct the last judgment, and establish the communal kingdom of the saints on earth, who would then come into possession of all the property of the wicked, who would, thereafter, suffer infinite and eternal agonies in hell.
The Essene Revelations Completed
Except for a few original documents written after 69 B.C., and the final interpolations added to The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs at the same time, the cult seems at this point to have considered its corpus of literature and revelation complete. The members studied their scriptures in the various communes scattered about Palestine. Those destined for a special type of leadership were sent to the headquarters at Qumram near the Dead Sea, where they multiplied their holy writings in a scriptorium, where members underwent ritual baptisms daily, and where, dressed in white robes, they partook of sacramental meals in an upper chamber every day.The Secret Esoteric Order
From Josephus, who was a neophyte in the Order for three years, the world has always known a good deal about the Essenes. When an individual joined, he sold everything he owned and turned the proceeds over to the curator of the Order, who kept this in a separate fund for three years, when it was returned to the applicant if he did not qualify for membership. If he did qualify, his property was intermingled irrevocably with that of the Order, and he was admitted to the commune, but still not permitted to partake of the sacramental bread and wine, nor was he yet taught all its mysteries until the end of five years, when, if he satisfied the leaders as to his truth and reliability, he was finally admitted to full membership. Josephus states that if a member was expelled for some serious infraction of discipline, he simply lay down in the desert and died of starvation, since he could not eat any other kind of food.Between 60 B.C. and 69 A.D., the communes, which increased to 4,000 male members, continued with little alteration, while awaiting the coming of the Redeemer. However, as the Romans subjugated Galilee on their southward march toward Jerusalem, they came across various Essene communes and, suspecting the cultists of being a secret and conspiratorial society planning the overthrow of Roman rule, members were tortured under interrogation to reveal their secret doctrines. However, as Josephus tells us, they died, smiling, rather than violate their sacred oaths to never, no never, reveal their beliefs to anyone, no matter what the provocation might be.
Secreting the Scrolls
Then an extraordinary event occurred. As the Romans approached the Dead Sea headquarters at Qumram, the Essenes placed their sacred writings in hundreds of earthen jars, sealed them carefully, and secreted them in various caves located in the rugged terrain. We believe that they expected to return in the not-too-distant future to resume their long-practiced way of life. But, of course, they never did.Was Jesus an Essene?
The existence of the Essene cult had always been known from the extensive references to, and descriptions of, them in Josephus, Pliny, and Philo Judaeus. Interestingly enough, Thomas De Quincey, a famous English essayist, declared about 1825, that there never was a separate Essene organization; that the so-called Essenes were simply Christians gone underground; that otherwise we would have to accept the blasphemous conclusion that there were two independent, yet almost identical, revelations at the same time and in the same place.There are scholars who believe that Jesus had been a full-fledged member of the Order; that he was persuaded that He was the personage foretold in their scriptures who would be empowered to establish the Kingdom of Righteousness, and that, therefore, he broke his vow of secrecy and preached the doctrines of the Order in the highways and the byways of Galilee. Some scholars are also convinced that not only John the Baptist but also the original core of men who established Christianity had been members of the Order. Some believe in addition that when their communes and headquarters were destroyed by the Romans, many of the Essenes became an integral and decisive element in the formation of the Christian movement. There was, in particular, one segment known as the Ebionites, or the Poor Men, who recreated in detail in their own literature, the doctrines, teachings, and discipline of the Essene communities. Actually, the three Synoptic Gospels, and especially Luke, are studded with statements in complete harmony with the cultic teachings, as is the so-called Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew. The more we study the Dead Sea Scrolls and the early canonical Christian
Scriptures, the more striking are the parallels which become evident. We have already noted that two important Essene documents were widely accepted by the early Christian converts as genuine scriptures of their own. Perhaps these converts had previously been Essenes.
The Great Discovery
In 1947, an event of world-shaking significance occurred. An Arab shepherd-boy, following a stray goat, entered an aperture on the side of a cliff and stumbled into a cave where the Essenes had secreted a number of jars containing scrolls. However, few of these were intact; most had been broken, and their contents scattered about the floor, much of the material torn into shreds. Obviously, the caves had been invaded, perhaps several times, with damage which cannot easily be assessed. However, after the Arabs had recovered two virtually complete manuscripts of Isaiah, a copy of the Manual of Discipline, The Thanksgiving Pslams, The Habkkuk Commentary, the Damascus Document, and the War scroll, they sold these to a group in New York; and, in a short time, they were made available to the world in translations by Millar Burrows, Dupont-Sommer, Gaza Vermes, and Theodore Gaster.Many More Scrolls Discovered
Then began an archeological search without parallel in religious history. One expedition after another went to the Dead Sea area in search of more scrolls. One team was headed by Millar Burrows, who states in his Dead Sea Scrolls that material sufficient to fill three large volumes was found in a single cave, cave four in which two-thirds was original Essene scripture and the remainder consisted of Jewish canonical books.
After these were placed in the Jordanian Museum in Jerusalem, an international team of eight scholars were selected to collect, piece together, and prepare for publication this incomparable treasure of source-material; of these, four were Roman Catholics; three had Protestant affiliations; and only one, John Marco Allegro, was without personal religious commitment. Without much delay, Allegro translated and published everything committed to him, including the delicate Copper Scroll, which listed precious metals and jewels worth millions of dollars secreted somewhere in the desert-where they still remain. However, he published also the material which tells the story of how Jannaeus crucified the rabbis; and after he declared in an interview that the Teacher of Righteousness may have been crucified in 70 or 69 B.C., by the Jewish authorities, he was thereafter denied all access to the Scrolls and was not even permitted to visit the Jordanian Museum in which they were kept. He complained bitterly that after years of delay not one line of the Scrolls, in addition to his, were translated and published; and this in spite of the fact that no less than 400 separate documents had been pieced together by 1965 and could just as easily have been given to the world, as were the four or five published shortly after the -original discovery.The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs contained a great many passages which had always be considered of Christian origin because they depict a personage in many respects similar to, or almost identical with, the character and mission attributed to Jesus in the New Testament. However, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this theory became untenable as fragments of the Testaments written nearly a century before the emergence of Christianity were found scattered about the caves which contained the very statements which had always been believed to be Christian interpolations. When I learned about these, I wrote to the curator of the Jordanian Museum offering to fly there if I would be permitted to photograph a piece of parchment from the Testament of Levi. He replied that if I came, I would not even be permitted to look at it, much less take a picture of it.
The Six-Day War of 1967
And so, even though year after year had slipped by without any additional publication of Scroll material, I continued to hope that someday it would become available. But then, as you know, a catastrophic event occurred in 1967 — the Six-Day War, (as it is called) in which the Israelis seized all of Jerusalem, including the Jordanian Museum and its contents.The Fate of the Scrolls
Over the years, until his death, I corresponded with Millar Burrows, who had written a sympathetic review of my book, The Essene Heritage, published in 1967. He refused to admit that there was any attempt to delay or prevent the publication of the Scrolls. Once he even declared that the Oxford Press was on the verge of releasing a large volume of this material; but the publishers stated to me in a letter that they had no such project under consideration.Thus, year after year, I kept prodding Burrows on the subject, and his replies became more and more evasive until they ceased altogether.
One question continued to occupy my interest: what had become of the scrolls? Why were none of them published for so many years? Sometimes I wondered whether they woud survive or ever be made available to the public. However, we should note that even in the custody of the Jordanians, they were hold in the strictest secrecy-and why? I could only surmise that extreme pressure had been exerted by both Christian and Jewish sources: -from the former, because it would not be beneficial to them should it be established that this faith grew out of a Jewish cult and was, therefore, not an original revelation; nor would the Israelis wish the Scrolls released, since they were filled with fierce denunciations of Jewish religious leaders and civil authorities.
It is my considered opinion and my sad conclusion that the Dead Sea Scrolls will never be given to the world unless basic changes occur: first, they must be removed from the custody of the Israeli government and, second, we must establish an intellectual climate in the western world in which scholars and ministers can discuss religious subjects without fear of reprisals, in the form of lost prestige, removal from lucrative positions, loss, of salaries or other sanctions which can be enforced against anyone who dares to interfere with the emoluments or the powers of those who are most powerful and influential in society.
I think it is as simple as that. And at the back of my mind lingers a gnawing fear that instead of being translated and published, the leather or parchment on which the Scrolls are inscribed, may be physically destroyed or become undecipherable before anything is done to release them. And it is highly significant that for several years there has been little or no discussion anywhere concerning the Scrolls. It seems that by ignoring the whole subject, its significance will die in the public consciousness.
The Museum in Jerusalem
From various friends who have recently returned from tours of the Middle East, I have learned a number of significant details. There is now in Jerusalem an onion-top-shaped building, designed to resemble the earthen jars in which the Scrolls were placed in 69 A.D.; most of the structure is underground and resembles a tunnel. This building is called the Shrine of the Book, and tourists are told that it houses not only the Dead Sea Scrolls, but also other documents found at the fortress of Massada and still others related to the revolt of Bar Kokhba which occurred in 135 A.D. A 24-foot Scroll of Isaiah is on open display. I have been told that documents said to be original Scrolls are to be seen under extremely thick glass covers. I have been told also that in case of an emergency such as an attack, all the cases containing the manuscripts could be lowered into an impregnable underground vault.However, so far as I have been able to learn, no one is permitted to make an examination of these scrolls, touch them, or photograph them. No one, to whom I have talked, has the faintest idea of what is actually in the museum. And certainly, not one word of the Essene material has been published in the fourteen years that have elapsed since the Six-Day War.
Whether the Scrolls are there or in condition to be examined, I certainly do not know, nor have I been able to obtain any information on this score.
The Future of the Scrolls
What, if anything, the future holds in store in this field beyond what is now occurring, remains of course to be seen. I can think of no possible valid reason why the Scrolls have been withheld now for nearly thirty years. If they could not be prepared for publication in that length of time, would a century or two centuries be enough? It seems to me that unless we can rescue them from their present custody and also achieve a new and different intellectual world climate, there is little hope that anyone now living will ever see any translation of these scrolls.I consider what has happened and is continuing to occur in the matter of the Scrolls the greatest cover-up of important historical material that has occurred in modern history. The enemies are the special interests and a fierce bigotry that can only continue to persist by ignoring one of the most important questions that have ever faced world-scholarship. I do not expect to see any new developments during my lifetime, and it is one of the great disappointments of my career as a scholar and writer.
Also from Mr. Larson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_A._Larson)
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Larson's lifelong body of work reconstructs a complete version of the story of Christian origins and its theological controversies, detailing its evolution from the cults of Osiris and Dionysus to modern times. This includes the synthesis of ideas, deities and personalities that historically gave favor to Christianity against religious competitors such as Mithraism, which lacked a human founder and barred the general public, or Manichaeism, which lacked a deified founder. He summarizes the exposition of this story:And so we see that Egypt gave the world the god-man savior, who was several times reconstituted in the Greek and barbarian mysteries. Persia filled the void with fears of hell, with hopes of paradise, and with the concept of the Last Judgment, and with the expectation of a renovated universe. The Jews and the Brahmanas gave us the priest-state. The Buddhists gave us renunciation, which made sex, family, wealth, labor and comfort into crimes and which made of idle communism and parasitism the saintly way of life. The Greeks gave us democracy and private property, which Pythagoras attempted to replace with a celibate but self-reliant communism. He also popularized the Zoroastrian metaphysics, the Brahmanic-Buddhist eschatology, and the Egyptian-Dionysiac soteriology in the Graeco-Roman world. Plato absorbed the communism, anthropology, and eschatology of Pythagoras, but rejected his celibacy and his soteriology, as well as his concept of religion as a mystery-cult. Aristotle rejected the features of Pythagoreanism which Plato accepted and embraced the concepts of private property and the secular life, in this respect returning to the ideology of Hesiod. The Essenes were Pythagoreans who encased their pagan religious synthesis, which Jesus absorbed, in a Jewish entegument, which he rejected, although He considered Himself one of the prophets of Yahweh; but he incorporated a definitely Buddhist element, not found among the Essenes. In the Gospel, therefore, we find a synthesis of Osirian-Dionysiac soteriology, Zoroastrian eschatology, Buddhist ethics and renunciation, Pythagorean communism, and the Essenic Parousia. (Origins 416-17)
=====================================And there you have it. Thanks for the reference to Larson. As you can see, Christianity is a hodgepodge of many different religions and NOT based on Judaism.
Quote (Towshab @ Jan. 05 2008,01:57) Also from Mr. Larson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_A._Larson)
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Larson's lifelong body of work reconstructs a complete version of the story of Christian origins and its theological controversies, detailing its evolution from the cults of Osiris and Dionysus to modern times. This includes the synthesis of ideas, deities and personalities that historically gave favor to Christianity against religious competitors such as Mithraism, which lacked a human founder and barred the general public, or Manichaeism, which lacked a deified founder. He summarizes the exposition of this story:And so we see that Egypt gave the world the god-man savior, who was several times reconstituted in the Greek and barbarian mysteries. Persia filled the void with fears of hell, with hopes of paradise, and with the concept of the Last Judgment, and with the expectation of a renovated universe. The Jews and the Brahmanas gave us the priest-state. The Buddhists gave us renunciation, which made sex, family, wealth, labor and comfort into crimes and which made of idle communism and parasitism the saintly way of life. The Greeks gave us democracy and private property, which Pythagoras attempted to replace with a celibate but self-reliant communism. He also popularized the Zoroastrian metaphysics, the Brahmanic-Buddhist eschatology, and the Egyptian-Dionysiac soteriology in the Graeco-Roman world. Plato absorbed the communism, anthropology, and eschatology of Pythagoras, but rejected his celibacy and his soteriology, as well as his concept of religion as a mystery-cult. Aristotle rejected the features of Pythagoreanism which Plato accepted and embraced the concepts of private property and the secular life, in this respect returning to the ideology of Hesiod. The Essenes were Pythagoreans who encased their pagan religious synthesis, which Jesus absorbed, in a Jewish entegument, which he rejected, although He considered Himself one of the prophets of Yahweh; but he incorporated a definitely Buddhist element, not found among the Essenes. In the Gospel, therefore, we find a synthesis of Osirian-Dionysiac soteriology, Zoroastrian eschatology, Buddhist ethics and renunciation, Pythagorean communism, and the Essenic Parousia. (Origins 416-17)
=====================================And there you have it. Thanks for the reference to Larson. As you can see, Christianity is a hodgepodge of many different religions and NOT based on Judaism.
I agree for the most part.Did you notice what Larson said about the God of the Essenes being different from Jehovah?
Quote (Son of Light @ Jan. 04 2008,14:48) Our first Essene Ezine discusses the topic: What is a Nazarene?He shall be called a Nazarene. ~Matt 2:23 Nazarene is the title by which Jesus and his followers werereferred to. The word 'Christian' was never used by Jesus or usedto describe those who followed him. In the New Testament book of Acts, Paul is tried in Caesarea, andTertullus is reported as saying: “We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, anagitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleaderof the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5, New Revised StandardVersion). It is clear that “Christian” was not the earliest term for thefollowers of Jesus, since Acts 11:26 reports its first use inAntioch – at a time and in a place at least 10 and possibly 20 ormore years after the death of Jesus. Many authors have argued that “Nazarene” was not just one term thatwas used, but the dominant term, and that it was also used todescribe Jesus himself. The chief argument for this claim rests onan interpretation of the way Jesus is referred to by the writers ofthe gospels. The original Greek forms of all four gospels call him,in places, “Iesou Nazarene” (e.g. Matthew 26:71; Mark 1:24, 10:47,14:67; Luke 4:34; John 17:5; Acts 2:22). Translations of the Bible, from the fifth century Vulgate on, havegenerally rendered this into a form equivalent to “Jesus ofNazareth.” However, it is not the only possible translation.Linguistically, “Jesus the Nazarene” would be at least as correct,and some critics have argued that it is more plausible given thatcity of Nazareth seems to have not existed at the time of Jesus; itis unmentioned in any contemporary history and it is not possibleto prove its early existence other than by reference to the gospels. The Vulgate does use a form equivalent to “Nazarene” in one verse(Matthew 2:23), where its reading is Nazaroeus (Nazoraios), buthere the original Greek has the word Nazarene on its own, withoutIesou. However we translate these verses from the gospels, the evidencefrom Acts 24 does support the claim that “Nazarene” was an earlyterm for the followers of Jesus. But it does not appear to havebeen the term most used by those followers: the earliest Christianwritings we have, the letters of Paul (which predate the gospels byten to forty years), use the phrase “followers of the way” or, byfar the most common, “the church.” Derivations of “Nazarene” Regardless of these issues of translation, it seems clear that theterm “Nazarenes” had at least some currency as a description ofsome followers of Jesus. What, therefore, does the word mean? Theword Nazarene might come from at least four different sources: 1) The place-name Nazareth, via the Greek form Iesou Nazarene; thisis the traditional interpretation within mainstream Christianity.In support of this interpretation is that Iesou Nazarene is appliedto Jesus in the Gospels only by those who are outside the circle ofhis intimate friends, as would be natural if a place-name wasmeant. However in Acts it is employed by Peter and Paul, andattributed by Paul to the risen Christ (Acts, 22:8). Matthew 2:23reads that “coming he dwelt in a city said by the prophets: That heshall be called a Nazarene,” though no convincing identification ofthe prophecy concerned has been brought forward, the phrasing againstrongly suggests that Matthew meant Nazarene to refer to a placename. 2) The word netzer meaning “branch” or “off-shoot.” This could inturn refer to the claim that Jesus was a “descendant of David,” orto the view that Jesus (or rather the teachings he or his followersadvocated) were an offshoot from Judaism. 3) The word nosri which means “one who keeps (guard over)” or “onewho observes”. 4) The word nazir which refers to a man who is consecrated andbound by a vow to God, symbolized by avoiding cutting his hair,eating meat or drinking alcohol. Such a man is usually referred toas a Nazirite in English translations, and there are a number ofreferences to Nazirites in the Old Testament. None of these interpretations is unproblematic. It is therefore,quite possible that “Nazarene” was simply a deliberate play onwords combining Nazirite with Essene. Nazarenes: Jewish Christians After the word “Christian” had become established as the standardterm for the followers of Jesus, there appear to have been one ormore groups calling themselves “Nazarenes”, perhaps because theywished to lay claim to a more authentic and/or a more Jewish way offollowing Jesus. Descriptions of groups with this title are given by the fourthcentury church father Epiphanius (flourished 370 CE), and Jerome.On the basis of their accounts, the Encyclopaedia Britannica of1911 stated definitely that the name Nazarenes specificallyidentified an obscure Jewish-Christian sect, existing at the timeof Epiphanius. Epiphanius gives the more detailed, though thoroughly disapproving,description, calling the Nazarenes neither more nor less than Jewspure and simple. He mentions them in his Panarion (xxix. 7) asexisting in Syria, Decapolis (Pella) and Basanitis (Cocabe). According to Epiphanius they dated their settlement in Pella fromthe time of the flight of the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem,immediately before the siege in 70 CE. He describes them as those”…who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease toobserve the old Law.” Epiphanius adds, however, that theyrecognized the new covenant as well as the old, and believed in theresurrection, and in the one God and His Son Jesus Christ. He cannot say whether their christological views were identicalwith those of Cerinthus and his followers, or whether they differedat all from his own. Jerome (Epistle 79, to Augustine), on the other hand, says thatthough the Nazarenes believed in Christ the Son of God, born of theVirgin Mary, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rose again,desiring to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither the onenor the other. They used the Aramaic Gospel of the Hebrews, also known as theGospel of the Holy Twelve, but while adhering as far as possible tothe Mosaic economy as regarded circumcision, Sabbaths, vegetarianfoods and the like, they did refuse to recognize the apostolicityof Paul. (Jerome's Commentary on Isaiah, ix. I). Jerome's description, taken along with the name (cf. Acts 24:5) andgeographical position of the sect, strongly suggest that theNazarenes of the 4th century interacted with the Ebionites in spiteof Epiphanius' distinction. Earlier church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Origen and Eusebiusmention other groups who, to varying extent, accepted Jesus asMessiah while continuing to observe the Jewish Law. It is oftensuggested that these are the same as the groups identified byJerome and Epiphanius as Nazarenes. One such group were theEbionites, referred to in second century writings. There Epiphaniusdraws a comparative distinction between the Nazarenes and theEbionites. We hope you enjoyed The Essene Ezine.Visit the Essene Discussion Forum athttp://www.essene.com/forum/index.php
I'm confused. Here you OR whoever you are quoting say:Quote Translations of the Bible, from the fifth century Vulgate on, havegenerally rendered this into a form equivalent to “Jesus ofNazareth.” However, it is not the only possible translation.Linguistically, “Jesus the Nazarene” would be at least as correct,and some critics have argued that it is more plausible given
thatcity of Nazareth seems to have not existed at the time of Jesus; itis unmentioned in any contemporary history and it is not possibleto prove its early existence other than by reference to the gospels.But latter you/them said:
Quote Inthe case of Jesus the plaque reads “Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm”(INRI)–“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, indicating that Jesuswas crucified for the crime of rebelling against the authority ofRome by being declared the “King of the Jews”. If the plaque read “Jesus of Nazareth” Then Jesus was a Nazarene being from Nazareth.
There is no doubt that Jesus was a rebel. And His New covenant IS more of a Love of a Father than of a God of Wrath.
Christian? I don't care what you call me… But a child of God!
Spiritually speaking what does it matter? If one is led by the Spirit of God we don't need tags. We are the body of Christ and belong to the church of the first born, Heb. 12:22-24.What matters is keeping God's Commandments and faith in Jesus.
1Cor.7:19, Rev 12:17; 14:12
Son of light I tried to read your post, but gave up because you must have written it in the dark. Leaving spaces in between words is a must. If you want people to understand what you are writing.
Peace and Love Mrs.
Quote (Son of Light @ Jan. 04 2008,09:01) Quote (Towshab @ Jan. 05 2008,01:57) Also from Mr. Larson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_A._Larson)
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Larson's lifelong body of work reconstructs a complete version of the story of Christian origins and its theological controversies, detailing its evolution from the cults of Osiris and Dionysus to modern times. This includes the synthesis of ideas, deities and personalities that historically gave favor to Christianity against religious competitors such as Mithraism, which lacked a human founder and barred the general public, or Manichaeism, which lacked a deified founder. He summarizes the exposition of this story:And so we see that Egypt gave the world the god-man savior, who was several times reconstituted in the Greek and barbarian mysteries. Persia filled the void with fears of hell, with hopes of paradise, and with the concept of the Last Judgment, and with the expectation of a renovated universe. The Jews and the Brahmanas gave us the priest-state. The Buddhists gave us renunciation, which made sex, family, wealth, labor and comfort into crimes and which made of idle communism and parasitism the saintly way of life. The Greeks gave us democracy and private property, which Pythagoras attempted to replace with a celibate but self-reliant communism. He also popularized the Zoroastrian metaphysics, the Brahmanic-Buddhist eschatology, and the Egyptian-Dionysiac soteriology in the Graeco-Roman world. Plato absorbed the communism, anthropology, and eschatology of Pythagoras, but rejected his celibacy and his soteriology, as well as his concept of religion as a mystery-cult. Aristotle rejected the features of Pythagoreanism which Plato accepted and embraced the concepts of private property and the secular life, in this respect returning to the ideology of Hesiod. The Essenes were Pythagoreans who encased their pagan religious synthesis, which Jesus absorbed, in a Jewish entegument, which he rejected, although He considered Himself one of the prophets of Yahweh; but he incorporated a definitely Buddhist element, not found among the Essenes. In the Gospel, therefore, we find a synthesis of Osirian-Dionysiac soteriology, Zoroastrian eschatology, Buddhist ethics and renunciation, Pythagorean communism, and the Essenic Parousia. (Origins 416-17)
=====================================And there you have it. Thanks for the reference to Larson. As you can see, Christianity is a hodgepodge of many different religions and NOT based on Judaism.
I agree for the most part.Did you notice what Larson said about the God of the Essenes being different from Jehovah?
Yes, although his view is minority it seems. In any case, it makes perfect sense to me because there just is no support to be found in the Tanakh that Jesus could be the son of YHVH. I have been showing this in many threads but people will believe what they want to even in the face of overwhelming evidence that refutes such a belief.
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