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This lesson will help reveal some truths that were secretly hidden in Scripture....a cleverly hidden map to the Way of the Nazarene Essenes

This is the fifth installment of a series of seven introductory lessons in Essene studies.

 

Scripture Reading

  ¹⁹After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

 ²¹So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, ²³and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Matthew 2:19-23

 ⁵"We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect ⁶and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. ⁸By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him."

 ⁹The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.

 ¹⁰When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. ¹¹You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹²My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. ¹³And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, ¹⁵and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 

Acts 24:5-15

 ¹Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4

 

Lesson 

As we read the Scriptures above, we get two different accounts of what it means to be a Nazarene. According to Matthew, Yeshua was called a Nazarene strictly because he lived in the town of Nazareth. Luke seemed to have different information concerning Nazarenes.  Luke wrote in the Book of Acts that the Nazarenes were those who followed the Way. According to Luke, the term, Nazarene denoted a member of the religious sect of Nazarenes. Luke writes that the members of this sect believed everything in accordance with the Law and the Prophets.

Luke mentioned two other Jewish sects. These sects were the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Philo of Alexandria, a first century Jewish philosopher, added a third sect in his writings which he called the Therapeutae. Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, discusses a third sect as well which he calls the Essenes. He states the Essenes were scattered far and wide and were in every city, being numerous in Judea in his time. When one reviews the characteristics of Philo's therapuetae and Josephus' Essenes, it becomes apparent that the Egyptian Therapeutae and Judean Essenes were different versions of followers of the same belief. Josephus also alluded to a "fourth sect" beside the Essenes but he did not name it. According to Luke, that fourth sect was the Nazarenes.

As we have explained in a previous lesson, Nazarenes were a group of northern Essenes from Mount Carmel. The term, Nazarene is derived from the Hebrew word, Nazir. It is from the verb, Nazar, which means "to separate". The Torah often mentions those who take a vow of separation, a Nazarite vow. The Nazarene sect seems to have evolved from these "separated ones".

The hidden message woven into the Book of Acts and the Book of Luke is that Yeshua was a Nazarene Rabbi. As a Nazarene Master, he guided His followers to a new understanding of the path to God. He called this path "the Way". In the Book of Acts, Luke describes the Nazarenes as a sect that was "persecuted", "spoken against", "maligned" and blamed for "no small disturbance". Here are some other references in his scripture that describe the Nazarenes and their Way: 

 ^"About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way." Acts 19:23

(Paul speaking) "I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison" Acts 22:4

"But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect." Acts 28:22

Throughout Acts, Luke references the followers of Yeshua as members of the sect of Nazarenes that followed the Way. Why then does Matthew provide an explanation that results in the Christian world believing that Yeshua was called a Nazarene because he lived in Nazareth? The answer to this question is can be found carefully hidden in Luke's writing.

Both of the books authored by Luke, the book of Luke and the book of Acts, are letters addressed to Theophilus. Scholars have never determined who this person was. Some assume it was a new Christian but there is no records of an actual person by this name. Is there a hidden meaning to this name? Theo means God. Philus comes from the word for love. The most prominent theologian (or lover of God)  of this time period was Philo...Theo - philo... could the name Theophilus actually be a code to the first century Christians reading the works of Luke? Perhaps he is saying the readers should go to Philo to understand this scripture?

The Jewish philosopher, Philo was famous for his writings and his admiration for the Therapeutae, an Egyptian Essene sect. Some speculate that he was an Essene himself. Philo's works were enthusiastically received by the followers of the Way. It would not be unusual for Luke to call on Philo's methodology. It is very possible that his reference to Theophilus was a thinly veiled psuedonym for Philo that would have been easily recognized by those in the know. 

Philo writings asserted that there is a twofold meaning in the Bible, the literal and the allegorical.  The two interpretations, however, are not of equal importance. The literal sense is adapted to human needs. The allegorical sense is the deeper meaning. It is the meaning that only those who are initiated can understand. Yeshua often used this method in his parables. He allowed the crowd to understand the literal meaning but later, in private, explained the deeper meaning to his disciples. This is what he meant when he would often say, "He who has eyes to see, let him see" 

Philo developed a special method to determine if there was an allegorical meaning to a scripture.  As a result of his rules of interpretation, the literal sense of some passages of Bible must be excluded altogether. In these passages, the literal interpretation would say something unworthy of God or of scripture, so one must look for an allegorical meaning. If a literal interpretation is senseless or contradictory or inadmissible, then one should look for an allegorical interpretation. Also, an allegorical expression can be used to draw a reader's attention to the fact that the literal sense is to be disregarded. 

Philo developed special rules that directed the reader to recognize the passages in which there may also be an allegorical  interpretation, and a deeper meaning. The following is a list of his rules of allegory.

1. The doubling of a phrase;
2. An apparently superfluous expression in the text;
3. The repetition of statements previously made;
4. A change of phraseology—all these phenomena point to something special that the reader must consider.
5. An entirely different meaning found by a different combination of the words, disregarding the ordinarily accepted division of the sentence in question into phrases and clauses.
6. The synonyms must be carefully studied as to why one phrase is used in one passage and a different one in another, etc.
7. A play upon words utilized for finding a deeper meaning
8. A definite allegorical sense may be gathered from certain particles, adverbs, prepositions, etc.;
9. and in certain cases it can be gathered even from the parts of a word.
   
10. Every word must be explained in all its meanings, in order that different interpretations may be found.
11. The skillful interpreter may make slight changes in a word, following the rabbinical rule, "Read not this way, but that way." Philo, therefore, changed accents, breathings, etc., in Greek words.
12. Any peculiarity in a phrase justifies the assumption that some special meaning is intended: e.g., where "one" is used instead of "first" etc. Details regarding the form of words are very important:
13. The number of the word, if it shows any peculiarity in the singular or the plural: the tense of the verb, etc.;
14. The gender of the noun;
15. The presence or omission of the article;
16. The artificial interpretation of a single expression;
17. The position of the verses of a passage;
18. Peculiar verse-combinations;
19. Noteworthy omissions;
20. Striking statements;
21. Numerical symbolism: Philo found much material for this symbolism in the Hebrew Bible, and he developed it more thoroughly according to the methods of the Pythagoreans and Stoics.
    

So back to the question at hand: Using Philo's rules of allegory, what was Luke trying to reveal in his writings? Let us start with some key passages in the first chapter of the book of Luke. I will use excerpts below but you can read the entire chapter by clicking here.

Luke 1:5-20 contains important links to the Old Testament that reveal who the story is about. In this passage, an "Angel of the Lord" appears to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.  The story Luke wrote of John's conception is taken almost verbatim from the Old Testament story of the conception of Samson which is described in the Book of Judges. Here are some selected passages that depict the similarity:

...there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. Luke 1:5-7

1Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.... the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. ¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth Luke 11:1-13

...Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. ³ The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. ⁴ Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, ⁵ because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. Judges 13:2-5

The key to understanding the allegorical meaning of this passage is Philo's rule number 19, noteworthy omissions. This story about John the Baptist was nothing more than a retelling of the story of Samson. There is one piece of information provided about Samson, however, that Luke omitted when he copied Judges to introduce John the Baptist. Samson was a Nazarite. Nazarites were a precursor sect to the Nazarenes. What Luke was trying to say, is just like Samson, John the Baptist was of the sect  of the Nazarenes.

There is another passages in the first chapter of Luke that mirrors an old testament passage. In Luke 1: 46-55, there is a well-known section of scripture in which Miriam, mother of Yeshua praises the Lord. This section which is known as 'The Magnificat" is strikingly similar to the "Song of Hannah" found in l Samuel 2:1-10. Hannah (Anna) was married to Elkanah. Like John the Baptist mother and Samson's mother, Hannah had been unable to conceive. In l Samuel 1-11, she made this vow, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will set him before you as a Nazarite for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

After making this vow, Hannah became pregnant and bore a son, Samuel. She did not forget her vow. Later in chapter one of l Samuel, she is quoted as saying, "After the child is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD..., I will offer him as a Nazarite for all time." So Hannah and baby Samuel were also Nazarites. According to Philo's rule of noteworthy omissions, Luke's associated Miriam, mother of Yeshua with Hannah and Samuel.Samuel was consecrated as a Nazarite at birth and became the new high priest of Israel. Yeshua was a Nazarene who guided us to a new way of worship.

Luke's method of defining "The Way" and identifying the Nazarenes as the fourth sect was incredibly clever. He took great care to submerge his information in wording that would not be immediately understood by the uninitiated. Apparently he was not able to write openly about Yeshua and John's association with the Nazarenes. In his writings, he explains the reason why he must be so cautious. He states that there are those who would persecute and malign the Nazarenes. These unnamed enemies also apparently did not want Yeshua or John the Baptist associated with the Nazarene sect.

Who was this enemy of "The Way"? Luke's closing words in chapter one reveal the answer. In Luke 1:68-79, there is the following prophesy spoken by the father of John the Baptist:

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

 ⁶⁸"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
      because he has come and has redeemed his people.
 ⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
      in the house of his servant David
 ⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
 ⁷¹salvation from our enemies
      and from the hand of all who hate us—
 ⁷²to show mercy to our fathers
      and to remember his holy covenant,
 ⁷³the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
 ⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
      and to enable us to serve him without fear
 ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
 ⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
      for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
 ⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
      through the forgiveness of their sins,
 ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 ⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the Way of peace."

According to Philo's rule # 20 (striking statements), Luke used the term Holy Spirit, to signal that this passage has a deeper meaning. Luke guides us to David as the key to this passage.  Some of the words of this passage can also be found in the words of David. In the preface to Psalm 18, it says, "David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when YHVH delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." Luke put the words spoken by David in Zechariah's prophesy but omitted the name of the enemy. Remember Philo's rule of noteworthy omissions (rule # 19). Luke was saying that the enemy was Saul.

There were three noteworthy omissions found in the first chapter of Luke.  First, Luke omitted Nazarite to associate John the Baptist (Nazarene) with Samson (Nazarite). Then Luke omitted Nazarite again to associate Yeshua (Nazarene) with Samuel (Nazarite). The third omission was the name Saul as David and John / Yeshua's enemy.

Philo and the Essenes both had a great interest in numerical symbolism. (See rule #21) Philo utilized Pythagorean  sacred numbers.  It is interesting to note that there are five numbers in Luke chapter one. Those numbers are: Five (Luke 1:24), six (Luke 1:26), six (Luke 1:36), three (Luke 1:56), and eight (Luke 1:59).

5 x 6 x 6 x 3 x 8 = 4320 (one of the most "Sacred" of the Pythagorean "Sacred Numbers"

4320 divided by 2 = 2160 which is the diameter of the moon (the great light of the night)

432,000 multiplied 2 = 864,000 which is the diameter of the sun (the great light of the day)

432 x 432 = 186,614  which is the speed of light within .0012 miles per second

Luke ends the prophecy of Zechariah with "the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the Way of peace." The Nazarenes were called "children of light" and there "Way" was the way of peace. The numerical symbolism emphasized the light by leading to daylight, night light and the speed of light.

The solution to the allegorical puzzle presented by Luke is as follows:

"We are Nazarenes.The Way of the Nazarenes began with the Nazarites Moses elected to serve God (Numbers 6:1-5). The Knowledge of the Nazarites became the Science of the Pythagorean "Sacred Numbers." We are not residents of Nazareth. We are members of a sect that is opposed by powerful people who will destroy anything we write that openly tells of the knowledge we hold and the persecution we face. We have been accused of causing great disturbances when in fact we have tried to set the people free by teaching them the Truth. The hand of our enemy – the enemy of Knowledge and Truth - belongs to Saul."

Luke's gospel was written to correct the misinformation contained in Paul's letters and Matthew's gospel that claimed to be about, and on behalf of, JESUS THE NAZARENE. This is just the first allegorical message that contains the theme that Saul aka Paul was an infiltrator and enemy of the Nazarenes, and Matthew's gospel was written (or altered) to lead people away from Jesus' teachings, also known as THE WAY OF THE NAZARENES.

More Insight

If you would like to study this subject further, here are some helpful links.

As I promised, I have included articles from my friends at www.thenazareneway.com.

The original series of articles on allegory: Allegory 101

More evidence why Yeshua was a member of the Nazarenes and NOT a resident of Nazareth: Nazarenes vs Nazareth

Another view point on the enemies of "The Way". 

 

 

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I have been observing with interest all the recent hoopla regarding September 9, 2009. As I am sure you are aware, this date that came and past was unique because numerically it was the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 09 (otherwise known as 09/09/09) This set of 3 nines will not reoccur again until  3009. There will not be another set of repeating single digit dates for almost a century either (January 1, 2101 or 01/01/01)

Everyone seems to have their own opinion as to the significance of this numerical anomaly. The opinions range all over the map. The Chinese consider 9 to be an auspicious number. The Japanese consider it bad luck. Modern numerologist associate the number nine with forgiveness, compassion and success and believe the date heralds a time of significant change in attitude of humanity. Some Bible scholars have hypothesized that 999 is merely 666 upside down and foretells a time of evil. One unstable person felt so strongly about this theory that he hijacked a plane in Mexico to bring attention to the date. I don't understand the logic of that action but I doubt this hijacker was thinking very logically!

It may be a little late to add my own thoughts about 09/09/09. I am behind the power curve, I know. It took me a while to ponder over the possible spiritual significance of this date. I know that God/Goddess uses numbers to assign significance to certain times or events. A time of completion, for instance, is often signified by the number 40 (such as 40 days and nights of rain or the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years). Most cultures have a form of numerology. The ancient Essenes were no exception. The Hebrews had a very elaborate form of numerology. God can and does speak to mankind through this symbolism. So I felt there was a good possibility that our Father and Mother  were trying to send us a spiritual message in the triple 9 date.  

I read all the internet musings and dismissed most of them.  I especially found the upside down 666 theory absurd. If God wanted to send a message of impending evil, it makes a lot more sense to do so on June 6th, 2006 (06/06/06). Then I decided to research Hebrew numerology to find out the significance of the number nine. I discovered Hebrew numerology assigned a number to every letter in their alphabet. This numeration system meant that every word had a numerical value as well. Certain qualities were assigned to every number. The number 6 was associated with unrest and trouble. When a number is repeated 3 times it is assigned an eternal quality. So the number 666 would signify eternal unrest. No wonder this number was given to represent the Antichrist in the Book of Revelations. 

Nine, on the other hand, has a totally different connotation. Nine has no evil or negative meaning. The number nine was revered by the ancient Hebrews. It was considered so special that it was excluded from traditional Hebrew numerology. Hebrew numerology assigns letters of the alphabet to numbers 1 through 8. Nine is left alone. It is considered sacred and mystical and, therefore, is not used.

So, according to Hebrew numerology, the date 09/09/09 would be considered very sacred and mystical. The number is repeated three times. Repeating assigns an eternal quality. Also, the number 3 represents power. Sounds to me like Sept. 9 is heralding  the start of something good!  I, personally, hope it is the beginning of a time of new awareness....a time in which we, the children of God begin to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. That does not mean everything is going to be just fine and dandy from now on. The road ahead will continue to be difficult. The birth of a new world, like the birth of a child, requires labor pains. We must prepare but we must not despair. If we persevere and if we continue to seek the sacred and follow the path of light, we WILL see Heaven on Earth.

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God" Matthew 5:8

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The "Sermon on the Mount" is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the teaching of Yeshua and the heart of the Christian message. Scholars now accept that the lessons taught by Yeshua on that day originated in the Essene scriptures. The Sermon on the Mount was taken directly from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Most of what we now call Christianity originated in the teachings of the Essenes. 

That is because the members of the early Church...the followers of the Way taught by Yeshua...were actually Essenes.

This lesson explains the shared Essene heritage of all Christianity.

This is the fourth installment of a series of seven introductory lessons in Essene studies.

 

Scripture Reading

 ¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-11

 [Blessed is he]...with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue,

Blessed are those who hold to her [Wisdom's] precepts and do not hold to the ways of iniquity

Blessed are those who rejoice in her and do not burst forth in the ways of folly

Blessed are those who seek her with pure hands and do not pursue her with a treacherous heart.

Blessed is the man who attains Wisdom and walks in the Law of the Most High

He directs his heart towards her ways and restrains himself in her Corrections and always takes delight in her chastisements.

He does not forsake her when he sees distress Nor abandon her in the time of strain

He will not forget her [on the day of] fear, and will not despise her  when his soul is afflicted

For always he will meditate on her and in his distress he will consider [her].

Dead Sea Scroll 4 Qbeat

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.  ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1: 1-3

And by his knowledge everything has been brought into being. And everything that is, he established for his purpose; and apart from him nothing is done

Community Rule of the Essenes 

Lesson 

The purpose of this lesson is to show how Father and Mother God laid the groundwork for Yeshua through the teachings and practices of the Essenes. We are fortunate to have an accurate understanding of ancient Essene beliefs from their own writings. The Essenes did a tremendous amount of writing. They wrote about their theology, their religious practices and their expectation of a coming Messiah and a new age. Essene scribes put many of the Hebrew scriptures into writing. Some of our earliest copies of these scriptures are from the Essene libraries. These scribes also developed their own commentaries to the scriptures. This gives us insight to Essene philosophy of that time. 

We are fortunate to have so many of the Essene writings because of the preserving powers of the dry desert climate.  Near the time of the Roman invasion of Judah, the Essenes felt the need to protect their writings from the invading armies. The Essenes hid their scrolls in clay pots in caves in the desert near Qumran. Qumran is in southern Israel near the Dead Sea. That is how these writings came to be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The first scrolls were discovered in 1947 by an Arab goat herd. He was following one of his animals and stumbled into a cave where a treasure-trove of ancient documents was found. By a strange succession of fortunate incidents, these were quickly published, and made available to the world.

This set off one of the most intensive archeological hunts in history. Scholars and scientists hastened to the Judaean desert in search of additional Scrolls and were successful. Hundreds of Essene scriptures were recovered, all of which had been secreted in sealed jars about 69 A.D. Material was found in at least five caves. In Cave 4 alone there were enough original Essene scriptures found  to fill two volumes the size of the King James version of the Bible.

There was a great delay in the compilation and translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Many of the writings were not released to the public. Some believe this was a conspiracy by organized religion to prevent the comparison between the Essenes and Christianity. Now that more of the translations have been released however, there are some striking similarities.

In the scriptures above we see the similarity between the Beatitudes of Matthew and writings of the Essenes. Some of the contents of the Beatitudes can also be found in other Essene writings such as the Credo of the Essenes. An even more striking comparison is the excerpt above from John and the Community Rule of the Essenes. The Texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls were written much earlier than any of the Gospels of the New Testament. So it is obvious that the Essene writings were the source for later scriptures. Many of the New testament authors referenced the Dead Sea Scrolls in their writings. Sometimes they quoted the Dead Sea Scrolls word for word. More often, however, they would mirror the philosophy of the Essene writings.

These ancient Essene documents were the origin of many of Christ Yeshua's teachings. Only an Essene initiate would have had access or knowledge to the Essene scriptures. The scrolls were strictly limited to members of the Holy Order. That is why the Essenes took such great care to hide the scrolls from the Romans. The Essene teachings were shared only with the brethren and those who were initiated into the family were sworn to secrecy. This understanding is probably one of the strongest arguments that Yeshua was an Essene. If he quoted Essene scriptures, he had to be an Essene himself.

Here are some of the themes in the Essene writings that mirror the writings found in our Bible. They wrote of justification by faith and wrote about sons of light fighting an evil world. The theme of light and darkness, reoccurred throughout Essene writings. They saw themselves as children of light, refusing to compromise in an evil world.  They thought of themselves as preparing the "way of the Lord" by obeying divine truths.  Their writings had similar concepts as the New Testament books such as, righteousness, piety, the poor, the meek and other similar vocabulary.

The structure of Essene worship is also remarkably similar to Christian worship. The Essenes held assemblies and congregations. These words translate as "church". Yeshua says in Matthew 18:17 to "tell it to the church" before there was a Christian church. We infer from this that He was discussing the Essene church and that He was an Essene. The Essenes initiated their converts into the church by baptism in the same way that Yeshua was baptized in the Jordan by John. The Essenes also had bishops, deacons, elders, priests, disciples, scriptures, gospels, epistles, hymns and the list goes on. Please see the more detailed documentation of all the similarities at the end of this lesson. All this occurred many years prior to Christianity. In summary, the Essenes and Christians had too many features in common for it to be chance. 

Early Christian writers also left no doubt that Essenism and Christianity were the same religion.  Eusebius, a renown church writer of the fourth century, stated in his "History of the Church", 

"Those ancient Therapeuts (Essenes) were Christians and their ancient writings were our gospels"

Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, discusses the Essenes who he states were scattered far and wide and were in every city, being numerous in Judea in his time. He makes no mention, however, of any sect or religious order by the title of Christian. This group was not called by that name yet. Or if some of this group was starting to be called Christians, Josephus was not aware of it yet.

Philo of Alexandria describes a religion remarkably similar to Christianity and calls them Therapeutae (a form of Essenes) He compares them to other religions but never mentions the Christians. Why? because the Essenes were the group that would later be known as Christians.

Tacitus, in 104 AD is the first of the three hundred known writers of that era to make any mention of Christianity, Christ or the term "Christian". This was a decade after Josephus' last book. Until then, the name, Christianity, had not yet been widely recognized as something different from the Jewish Essene. What happened? Well, after the Roman invasion around 70 AD, many followers of Yeshua escaped into other lands and the gentile people from other countries began to  be converted. 

These non-Jew converts began to incorporate their own practices into their new religion. They added their own Holy days to the Jewish Holy days. They were not circumcised. Some ate meat. Some called Yeshua by his Greek name. The religion of these Gentile converts began to look different from the original Essene followers of the Messiah.  They were  called Christians from "Christ" the Greek word for Messiah.

Throughout history, Christianity continued to change its doctrine to fit the circumstances of the times.  Local customs continued to be added to the religious dogma. When the Emperor Constantine was converted, he decreed that Christianity would be the official religion of the Roman Empire.  He was not very picky, however, in how exactly the religion was practiced. He wanted to keep all his subjects happy. So a lot of compromising was going on. The hundreds of saints of the Catholic church are part of this compromise. As new lands were converted, the myths and legends were incorporated into the church. The heros and Gods of those lands became saints to appease the local populace. As the church and society became predominately patriarchal, it became unacceptable to have a female aspect of Almighty God. So our lovely Holy Spirit Mother was demoted to an almost divine Mary, mother of Jesus.

There were still Essenes that stubbornly held onto the original teachings. But as Christianity became the "official" way, the original Essenes became less popular and even persecuted. The scriptures says there will always be a faithful remnant. As the Essenes were persecuted, this remnant became smaller and smaller. By the 20th century, the true followers of the Way were almost extinct. But Father Yahweh needed a new generation to prepare the world for a new age. So Mother Shekkinah, our sweet Holy Spirit, guided a goat herd to a cave in the desert. And the old ways were remembered again.

"Thus saith the Lord; Stand ye at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient ways, where the path is good, and walk therein, there ye shall find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16 

 

Essene and Christian Parallels and Commonalities

 

Many thanks to my Essene brother at  The Nazarene Way for his assistance in compiling this list

 

1. The Essenes believed and taught it was their first duty to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Philo).

Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all else shall be added (Mt 6:33; Luke 12:31).

 

2. They abjured all amusements, all elegance, and all pleasures of the senses (Philo).

Forsake the world and the things thereof.

 

3. They lay up nothing on earth, but fix their minds solely on heaven (the kingdom of God).

Lay not up treasures on earth. (Mt 6:19)

 

4. They, having laid aside all the anxieties of life and leaving society, make their residence in solitary wilds and in gardens (Philo).

They wander in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth (Heb 11:38).

 

5. They neither buy nor sell among themselves, but give of what they have to him that wanteth (Josephus).

And parted them (their goods) to all men as every man had need (Acts 2:45).

 

6. They utilized baptism, not animal sacrifice, as a mode of repentance for the remission of sins.

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; (Luke 3:3)

 

7. They forsook father, mother, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, for their religion (Eusebius quoting Philo).

Whosoever forsaketh not father and mother, houses and lands, cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:26, 33)

 

8. They being sometimes called monks was owing to their abstraction from the world (Eusebius).

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world (John 17:16).

 

9. They were called Ascetics because of their rigid discipline, their prayers, fasting, self-mortification, as they made themselves eunuchs (remained chaste).

There be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. (Mt 19:12)

 

10.They maintained a perfect community of goods, and an equality of external rank.

Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (Mt 20:27).

 

11. They had all things in common and appointed one of their number to manage the common bag.

And had all things in common (Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32).

 

12.They detested all ornamental dress and considered it vanity of heart.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, and putting on of apparel (1 Peter 3:3).

 

13. They would call no man master.

Be not called Rabbi, for one is your Master (Mt 23:8).

 

14. They said the Creator made all mankind equal.

God hath made of one blood all them that dwell upon the earth.

 

15. They renounced oaths, saying, He who cannot be believed with out swearing is condemned already.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (James 5:12)

 

16. They would not eat anything which had blood in it, or meat which had been offered to idols. Their food was hyssop, and bread, and salt; and water their only drink.

That ye abstain from meat offered to idols, and from blood (Acts 15:29).

 

17. They took nothing with them, neither meat or drink, nor anything necessary for the wants of the body.

Take nothing for your journey; neither staves nor scrip; neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece.

 

18. They expounded the literal sense of the Holy Scriptures by allegory. ( Symbolism)

Which things are an allegory. (Gal 4:24.)

 

19. They abjured the pleasures of the body, not desiring mortal offspring, and they renounced marriage, believing it to be detrimental to a holy life.

They that shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection neither marry nor are given in marriage. (Mt 22:30, Luke 20:35) The unmarried careth for the things of the Lord (1 Cor 7:32).

 

20. They strove to disengage their minds entirely from the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

 

21. They provide not for future subsistence, devoting themselves to the Lord.

Take no thought for the morrow, what ye shall eat and drink. (Matt 6:34)

 

22. They were ashamed to give the body sustenance, Regarding it as a prison.

Who shall change our vile bodies? (Phil 3:21).

 

23. They spent nearly all their time in silent meditation and inward prayer.

Men ought always to pray. (Luke 18:1). Pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).

 

24. They vowed perpetual chastity and poverty, believing the poor were the Lord's favorites.

Blessed be ye poor (Luke 6:20). Hath not God chosen the poor? (James 2:5).

 

25. They devoted themselves entirely to contemplation in divine things.

Mediate upon these (divine) things; give thyself wholly to them (1 Tim 4:15).

 

26. They fasted often, sometimes tasting food but once in three or even six days.

Christ's disciples fasted often. Fasting is mentioned over fifty times  (2 Cor 11:27; 5:34).

 

27. They offered no sacrifices, believing that a serious and devout soul was most acceptable.

There is no more offering for sin (Heb 10:18).

 

28. They believed in and practiced baptizing the (spiritually) dead.

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead (1 Cor 15:29).

 

29. They gave a mystical sense to the Scriptures, disregarding the letter.

The letter killeth, but the spirit maketh alive (1 Cor 3:6).

 

30. They had many mysteries in their religion which they were sworn to keep secret.

To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom; to them it is not given (Mt 13:11). Great is the mystery of godliness. (1 Tim 3:16)

 

31. They taught by metaphors, symbols, and parables as not to reveal their inner teachings.

Without a parable spake he not unto them. (Mt 13:34)

 

32. They had in their churches, bishops, elders, deacons, and priests.

Ordain elders in every church (Acts 14:23). Deacons (1 Tim 3:1).

 

33. They would often sing psalms when assembled together.

Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms (Col 3:16).

 

34. They healed and cured the minds and bodies of those who joined them.

Healing all manner of sickness (Mt 4:23).

 

35. They practiced certain ceremonial purification by water.

The accomplishment of the days of purification (Acts 21:26).

 

36. They were clothed in white garments.

Shall be clothed in white garments (Rev 3:4).

 

37. They disbelieved in the resurrection of the external body.It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Cor 15:44).

 

38. They were the only sort of men who lived without money and without women (Pliny).

The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). Christ's disciples traveled without money or scrip and eschew the lusts of the flesh.

 

39. They practiced the extremist charity to the poor.

Bestow all thy goods to feed the poor (1 Cor 13:3).

 

40. They were skillful in interpreting dreams, and in foretelling future events.

Your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:17).

 

41. They believed in a paradise, and in a place of never- ending lamentations.

Life everlasting (Gal 8:8). Weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth (Mt 13:42).

 

42. They affirmed, says Josephus, that God foreordained all the events of human life.

Foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter).

 

43. They believed in Mediators between God and the souls of men.

 

One Mediator between God and men (1 Tim 2:5).

 

44. They practiced the pantomimic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of God —Christ the Spirit.

With respect to the death, burial, resurrection of Christ, see 1 Cor 15:4.

 

45. They inculcated the forgiveness of injuries.

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

 

46. They disapproved of war between brothers.

If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight (John 18:36).

 

47. They inculcated obedience to magistrates, and to the civil authorities.

Obey them which have the rule over you (Heb 13:17; 26:65).

 

48. They retired within themselves to receive interior revelations of divine truth.

Every one of you hath a revelation (1 Cor 14:26).

 

49. They were scrupulous in speaking the truth.

Speaking all things in truth (2 Cor 7:14).

 

50. They perform many wonderful miracles.

Many texts teach us that Christ and his apostles did the same.

 

51. They put all members on the same level, forbidding the exercise of authority of one over another.

Christ did the same (Mt 20:25; Mk 9:35).

 

52. They laid the greatest stress on being meek and lowly in spirit.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Mt 5:5; 9:28)

 

53. They commended the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and the merciful, and the pure in heart.

For proof that Christ did the same, see Matthew 5

 

54. They commended the peacemakers.

Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matt 5:9)

 

55. They performed cures, as signs and proof of their faith.

Christ's disciples were to cast out devils, heal the sick, and raise the dead as signs and proof of their faith (Mk 16:17).

 

56. They sacrificed the lusts of the flesh to gain spiritual happiness.

You abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11).

 

57. They broke bread as a ritual.

He (Jesus) took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it (Luke 22:19).

 

58. They were wont to sell their possessions and their substance, and divide among all according as any one had need so that there was not one among them in want, even as it is related in the Acts of the Apostles (Eusebius).

For whoever, of Christ's disciples, were owners of estates or houses, sold them, and brought the price thereof, and laid them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made as every one had need. So Philo relates things exactly similar of the Essenes.

Neither was their any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the price of the things that were sold (Acts 4:34).

 

59. They enjoined, Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The Confucian golden rule, as taught by Christ.

 

60. They considered (all) men and women to be equal.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)

 

61. They enjoined the loving of enemies (Philo).

Love your enemies. (Matt 5:44, Luke 6:27)

 

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This is the third installment of a series of seven introductory lessons in Essene studies.

 

Scripture Reading

Lesson 

 

My dear friends and fellow Essenes, it has been a bit of a strain continuing to create our Sabbath worship material while in the middle of moving to another state. That is state of Arizona, not state of mind! Well, maybe both. Anyway, it has been difficult to allow the normal amount of preparation time. Usually, I spend time all week long meditating on the subject for the next week service. Then it take approximately 8 hours of actual work on the computer to prepare a regular Sabbath service. It takes about 2 or 3 hours less to create a lesson because I do not spend time searching Youtube for appropriate worship videos.

This week I took a little short cut. I derived much of the material for this lesson from my Essene brother at the website, www.thenazareanway.com.  It is only appropriate as he truly is the expert on the Nazarean Essenes. I encourage you to visit his website sometime. He has an exhaustive amount of Essene research and study material available. He also has links to most of the Holy Scriptures that were not included in our modern Bible.

Today's lesson is quite important. It explores what was meant when the Bible referred to Yeshua as the Nazarean. In John 19:19-20 we read that Pilate, Govenor of Judea, had a sign created to be placed on the cross at Yeshua the Anointed’s execution. There are variations of the wording in different accounts of the incident. Of the four gospels about the event, the phrase in John 19:19-20 is the most informative. It gives the name Yeshua, states that he is of Nazereth, gives him the almost sarcastic title, "King of the Jews" and  tells us that this is written in three languages.

Most bible translations of John 19:19 have: “of Nazareth.” There are variations in the translated spelling and pronunciation of this word (i.e., Natsareth, Nazorean, Notzori, Notsree, etc.). The Interlinear Bible - Hebrew and Greek, by J. Green Sr., Hendirckson Publishers, has the literal Greek: ‘ho nazoraios’ translated into English as ‘the Nazarean’

Little is taught about the place where Yeshua the Anointed was from. The locations where his  ministry took place is recorded in the New Testament. But a reader seldom associates the adjacency of the locations within the two geographic regions of Yeshua’s ministry. Many scholars challenge the assumption that Nazareth was a literal place: a town or city in Gallilee. Here are the facts that challenge the belief that Nazareth was literally just the place where Yeshua grew up.

1) There is no place called Nazareth in the Old Testament.

2) The term Nazarene or Nazarenes is not found in the Old Testament. This can be easily verified by looking in James Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

We know that present-day Nazareth is located in the region called Galilee in Northern Israel. Galilee is the biblical land given to the tribe of Zebulun in Johsua 19:10-16. In those passages there were twelve towns and six villages mentioned, but not Nazareth. This indicates Nazareth did not exist then as a town or village at that time.

Nazareth is not found among in the sixty-three towns of Galilee mentioned in the Talmud which was written much later, about AD 200-300. This might be for a variety of reasons. The Old Testament ends with the death of the last prophet Malachi. It was about 400 years later that the birth of Yeshua occurred. The Rabbinic writers of the Talmud may have not included him or where he was from, because they did not accept him as the prophesied Messiah.  The rabbis heritage is of the Pharisee lineage and did not accept Yeshua's teachings. Nazareth (correctly pronounced ‘Nats-a-reth’) appears 29 times in the New Testament but only in the Gospels and in Acts. The word ‘Nazarene’ and ‘Nazarenes’ appear once. But, most scholars think the first book of the New Testament was not available in Greek until after AD 67.

The Jewish historian, Josephus lived after the death of Yeshua from 37 to 100 AD. He traveled widely, visiting forty-five cities in the first century. He mentions Yeshua only once in his Antiquities of the Jews, but does not mention Nazareth.

Ancient Nazareth has not been identified archeologically. Only a suspected site has been reported in Bible Archeology Review magazine. All these facts has caused at least one author to conclude that the evidence for a first century city, town, or village called Nazareth, does not exist - not literary, historically, or archeologically.

How do these facts fit with what is commonly understood in the New Testament? Was there an ancient town of Nazareth? If so, where was it located? If not, who were the Nazarenes? Why were Yeshua the Anointed and his followers called a ‘sect’ by the religious establishment? Why was it said of Yeshua: “what good can come from a Nazarene? Why did Nazareth not grow and become more well known with the normal increase in population?

In the years leading up to Yeshua’s birth, there were major and minor Jewish Sects: The major sects were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and to a lesser extent the Essenes. The wealthy people and priestly families were generally Sadducees. They were the political elite. Pharisees, on the other hand, were noted for being extra meticulous in details of religious observance. Overall, these two sects were similar. They were the established Jewish sects.

The Essenes, however, were radically different from the Sadducees and Pharisees and openly opposed their theology and doctrines. They also questioned the spiritual integrity of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Bible is silent on the Essene sect and most people did not know they existed until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran. Yet, there is reliable information about when they came into prominence, their traditions, deeply rooted convictions, beliefs, writings, and specific locations where they existed.

The word Essene is a collective term. At the time of Yeshua there existed three distinct Essene groups. They were: The Theraputae of Egypt, the Essenes of Qumran, and the Essenes of Mount Carmel. Josephus and other classic writers tell of the Essenes and their intense appreciation for the inspired Law of Yahweh, and that they: “strove to be like the angels of heaven.”

There were certain attributes that all Essenes had in common. All opposed slavery and believed in the equality of all humankind. As a general rule, Essenes opposed the sacrificing of animals and the eating of flesh. Their highest aim was to become fit temples in which Holy Spirit of God could dwell and florish, to be healers and to perform cures, especially spiritual cures.

There is much evidence that Yosef and Miriam belonged to the Northern Essene sect and Yeshua was raised within this sect. Certainly it is hard to refute that Yeshua the Anointed had at least regional exposure to the Essenes of Mount Carmel in Northern Israel. It is clearly the area where Yeshua lived and studied. While the Northern Essenes had ongoing contact with their brethren in the South, Yeshua was not raised and trained at Qumran as some in the modern Essene movement want to believe. A map provides confirmation of this point.

The location of present day Nazareth is near the foot of Mount Carmel and not far from Lake Galilee, whereas the location of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Qumran is in southern Israel. Further, the travels of Yosef, Miriam, and Yeshua is reasonably well documented:

Prior to the birth of Yeshua, Yosef and Miriam are said to have lived in a place identified as Nazareth which is in Northern Israel. If this identification is a place name, it must have been a small, little known, settlement. If it had been a city, town, or even a large village surely its presence would have been recorded. At the end of a long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the Feast Days (Atonement, Trumpets, Tabernacles, Great Last Day) in the autumn, Miriam gave birth to  Yeshua. Rome utilized these holy convocations, which occurred after the harvest, as an occasion to collect taxes. But that year Rome also required a registry of allegiance to the Emperor by those with linage to the royal family. Miriam was of the house of David.

Being warned that Herod was going to kill baby Yeshua, Yosef took Miriam and fled southwest into Egypt. Specifically where they went is not recorded in the scriptures. After the death of Herod, the family returned to Nazareth. Yeshua apparently grew up in Nazareth but scripture records he visited the Temple in Jerusalem when he was twelve years old.

Yeshua launched his public ministry in Capernaum near Lake Galilee in northern Israel. As a grown man, Yeshua journeyed to southern Israel to a place not far from Qumran where he was immersed in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. After his baptism, Yeshua returned to northern Israel. There, in the region between Lake Galilee and Mount Carmel, he conducted his ministry.

Yeshua again journeyed to southern Israel when he knew the time had come for a confrontation with the authorities in Jerusalem, and it was during this visit that he was arrested, tried and crucified. It is a long journey from the area near Mount Carmel to Jerusalem. It is nearly the entire length of the nation of Israel, to travel on foot from Lake Galilee to the Salt Sea. There were no paved roads, the climate was hot half of the year, and the elevation varied. All things considered, a journey from northern to southern Israel for religious observance was no easy thing two thousand years ago.

It is not commonly realized, but nearly every major event recorded in New Testament about the life of Yeshua the Anointed - except for his birth, baptism, and death, occurred in northern Israel, in the region between Mount Carmel and Lake Galilee. This is the area where the vast majority of Yeshua's verbal teaching occured. For instance, one of Yeshua's most famous set of teachings, the sermon on the Mount, occured on Mount Carmel. Here are a few of the other well known events that occured in the Northern region of Israel:

1) The miraculous feeding of 5,000

2) The wedding at Cana where Yeshua turned water into wine

3) The anointing with oil by Mary Magdalene

4) The calling of Andrew and Peter, Phillip, Nathaniel, and Matthew

5) The sending forth of the twelve and the sending of the seventy-two disciples

6)  The healings of the leper and the man with palsy

7)  The teaching of the Lord's prayer to the Apostles

The scriptures show that Yeshua the Anointed lived most of his known life in northern Israel. Yet the scriptures do not give a specific link with the Essenes of Mount Carmel. Perhaps this link was not necessary because at that time it was a well understood fact that those who came from the small communities around Mount Carmel were of Essene heritage? Some scholars postulate that the small community identified as Nazareth was not so much a place name as an identification of the type of people at that site. Nazareth is derived from a word meaning "set apart". Perhaps the community of people at the foot of Mount Carmel were identified as Nazoreans because as Essenes they were "set apart" from the traditional Jewish sects of Pharisees and Saducees. Perhaps they were given this identification because they were a special set apart group of Essenes - the sect of Nazarenes. 

The word Nazarene bears some resemblance as well to Nazarite as in the "Vow of the Nazarite" described in Numbers 6:1-27. The vow of the Nazarite was a voluntary vow made by those wishing to separate themselves to the Lord. The length of the vow was determined by the person making the vow. There were three requirements: dietary restrictions, no cutting of hair and set apart from unclean. Perhaps many of the devout Essenes that settled at the foot of Mount Carmel took upon themselves a special and more set apart lifestyle than the average Essene? 

Yeshua certainly taught a religion that went beyond the parameters of the Law. He taught love, mercy and forgiveness.  That set him apart from the religious establishment of the day.  Certainiy these teachings are in keeping with all Essene doctrines.  There is an important fact, however, which shows Yeshua was not a Qumran Essene. That fact is: John the Baptist did not recognize Yeshua. This non-recognition by John has been widely pondered because Yeshua was John’s cousin. It is commonly assumed their families had fellowship, and surely fellowship would have occurred at the feast days. But it seems not so.

There is near unanimity amongst scholars that John the Baptist was an Essene from Qumran. Why would they conclude this? Scholars point out that the Essenes at Qumran often raised or adopted orphaned male children. The New Testament informs us that after Herod had John the Baptist’s father, Zachariah, murdered, John “went to live in the desert.” Obviously, a small child could not survive alone in the desert, so it is concluded that John was raised by the Essenes at Qumran. The Essenes at Qumran choose to be a cloister because of their religious differences with the Sadducees and Pharisees. The community did not participate in the affairs at the Temple.

There is other circumstantial evidence that John the Baptist was from Qumran. Qumran is not far from where the Jordan River connects with the Salt (Dead) Sea. Tradition tells us John performed his baptisms near this location. John lived in the desert southwest of the Jordan where Qumran is located. John’s dress and diet was plain. He is alleged to have been a vegetarian. The ‘locust’ he ate are said to have been the fruit of the Locust tree. The Locust tree is also known as the carob tree. Its edible seed pods are also known as St John's fruit. John's method of baptism (immersion) was similar to the Qumran Essene’s ritual bathing several times a day. The Qumran Essenes were called ‘Baptists' because of this ritual.

John’s prophetic theology also matches what is known of the Essenes at Qumran. In the ‘Community Rule’ of the Essenes of Qumran, one of the writings found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, it states their goal as: “To prepare the way for the Messiah in the desert wilderness... to prepare a people to meet the Master.” Similarly, in the New Testament, John the Baptist declares in John 1:23 “I am a voice crying out in the desert wilderness, make straight the way of Yahweh.”

There are parallels between Eliyah and John the Baptist. Isaiah, who lived hundreds of years before John and Yeshua, prophesied that before the ‘Messiah of Peace’ would manifest himself to Israel, two things had to occur. First, a group of people must “prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Then, Eliyah must return to earth to prepare the way and announce the coming of the Messiah. An astute reader of the New Testament is aware that Yeshua the Anointed declared that John the Baptist is the returned Eliyah.

Even an astute reader, however, is probably unaware of this interesting and not widely known fact. The place on the east bank of the Jordan River where it empties into the Salt Sea and where John performed his baptisms, is the same place where, about 800 years previous, Elijah ascended into heaven in a ‘chariot of fire.’ Eliyah is also said to have worn a camel hair robe and was unshaven.

If indeed John the Baptist was raised in the cloistered monastery at Qumran, isolated for years from family members, it could explain why he did not recognized his cousin Yeshua. This would not have been the case if Yeshua had ever stayed at the Essene community at Qumran. The Essenes at Qumran and the Essenes at Mount Carmel had distinct differences in practice.

The Essenes at Qumran were a strict monastic commune for celibate males. Most other Essene Communities - such as at the foot of Mount Carmel  consisted of families. Essenes were ecumenical and naturally had different rules. It would be logical to conclude that Yosef and Miriam would have been influenced by the Northern Essenes at Mount Carmel, therefore it would be expected that the life and teachings of Yeshua would be similar. Being from Nazareth and in an area inhabited by Northern Essenes can explain why Yeshua would be called a ‘Nazarene.’ It would identify him as being from this distinct group of Essenes.

Before further considering Nazareth, the Essene community at Mount Carmel, and the name given to the Essenes from there, one must be aware of other related information. It is known from the writings of Philo, a Jewish Philosopher who lived about 2000 years ago, there was an Essene community of “Theraputae” or “healers” at Lake Mareotis in Egypt. It is thought almost certainly this community provided a sanctuary for Yosef, Miriam and baby Yeshua when they fled Southwest into Egypt. Yosef surely would have known about the Theraputae. It would have been the logical place to go because it was a commune with like-type Essene beliefs, and because it was beyond Herod’s jurisdiction.

After Herod died, the family returned to Northern Israel and settled again in Nazareth. According to The Armageddon Script the word ‘Nazarene’ came to be applied to Northern  Essenes in general and to those from that area. The Northern Essene’s settlement near the foot of Mount Carmel where Yeshua lived probably later became known as Nazereth because of its distinction of being the hometown of the most prominent Nazarene, Yeshua. Perhaps this is the site where modern-day Nazareth is located.

Thus, a ‘Nazarene’ is a ‘Northern Essene’ associated with Mount Carmel, and Yeshua the Anointed being from Nazareth became known as‘Yeshua the Nazarene’ in John 19:19-20. In the New Testament book of Acts, the early converts from Judaism are called “the sect of the Nazarenes.”

From the statement in the New Testament: “nothing good comes from Nazareth” the Sadducees and Pharisees in Jerusalem apparently held Nazarenes in low regard. This may have been because they were collectively grouped with the Essenes who had refused to make animal sacrifices at the Temple. It may have been because Nazarenes were from a remote rural area. Also, they tended to be independent of the dictates of the religious establishment in Jerusalem who prohibited the using the name of the Father Yahweh in prayer, as Yeshua the Anointed did  in his prayers.

In Luke 4:16 there is mention of Yeshua entering a synagogue in Nazareth on the Day of Sabbaths (Weeks, Pentecost). That day would have been the ‘First of the Sabbath,’ now called Sunday. It was the fiftieth day and the morrow, counting inclusively with the day of the Elevated (Wave) Offering made during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Yeshua read from the scroll of Isaiah:

“The spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because he appointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh...”

The reading was recognition of the fulfilment of the prophecy in Yeshua the Anointed. But after the reading his ‘chastisement teaching’ caused him to be put out of the synagogue, led out of Nazareth, and almost thrown over the brow of a hill.

This incident prompted Yeshua to note that "a prophet is not acceptable in his own homeland." He continued to preach and teach in the surrounding area, however, and the area is still identified by the "set apart" sect of Nazarenes. The Nazarenes came to the Holy Mount of Carmel to live holy lives that would prepare the way for the Messiah. Their efforts were rewarded when Yeshua, the Anointed One arrived. These Essenes, as keepere of the true faith and seekers of the Way, were privileged to bring into the world the One who guided us all to the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

Some other interesting facts

Is it known how long the ‘Nazarenes’ existed?

In the fourth century Epiphanius, the Catholic Bishop of Constantia, wrote a book called Panarion. In it he mentions there were then ‘Nazarenes’ related to the ancient order of Essenes, that the followers of Yeshua the Anointed “were known as Nazarenes,” and that “the sect of the Nazarenes” existed prior to Yeshua’s birth. But rather than admit that the Nazarenes were the true custodians of the teachings of Yeshua, Epiphanius denounced them as heretics because what they taught was not then according to Catholic dogma. The Nazarene remnant seems to have been hunted down and killed before and during this time.

 

What is known of Mount Carmel?

The literal meaning of Carmel in Hebrew is ‘garden paradise.’ In The Religion of the Semites by  W. Robertson Smith, Mount Carmel was considered so holy that spilling of human or animal blood, or harm to a tree, or to natural life there, was forbidden. These rules applied not only to the Northern Essenes, but also to anyone who climbed the mountain. Permanent dwellings were not permitted on the mountain. Those who lived there are said to have stayed in temporary dwellings or tents.

In The Life of Pythagoras written in the 2nd century by Jambichus, we learn that the young seeker,  Pythagoras visited an Essene sanctuary on Mount Carmel:

                   “In Phoenica he [Pythagoras] conversed with the prophets who were descendants of

Moses... After gaining all he could from the Phoenician mysteries, he found that they

originated from the sacred rites of Egypt. This led him to... Egypt. Following the advice

of his teacher Thales, he left... through the agency of some Egyptian sailors, and landed

on the coast under Mount Carmel.”

Pythagoras then climbed Mount Carmel where he evidently received powerful teachings from the Northern Essenes; for when he returned to the ship, the sailors, who had hatched a secret plan to sell young Pythagoras into slavery, were mesmerized by his spiritual luminosity and unable to harm him. The sailors, according to Jamblichus, believed Pythagoras had become “supernatural.” Pythagoras went on to become an exponent of vegetarianism, fasting and other Essene practices. Thereafter he and his followers wore only white linen garments, as did the Essenes on Mount Carmel.

As mentioned earlier, the Northern Essenes held to certain religious practices which did not agree with the Sadducees and Pharisees at Jerusalem. What likely most offended other Jews was the steadfast refusal of the Essenes to offer animal sacrifices at the Temple...so adamant were the Essenes on this point it eventually led some to separate themselves and to establish of a kind of sanctuary on Mount Carmel.

One of the reasons the Essenes chose Mount Carmel was because of its connection with Eliyah the prophet. Many years earlier Eliyah had a school for prophets in a cave there. The cave could have been the ‘sanctuary’ of the Essenes. The location of what is said to have been Eliyah’s cave is known and can be visited today. As Eliyah was the sole true remnant of Israel, so too did the Essenes believe of themselves as they made their way to Mount Carmel. And, just as Eliyah had built the altar on Mount Carmel with twelve stones - one for each tribe of Israel, so the Essenes likewise could hope to restore true worship there.

A few miles from the base of Mount Carmel the Essenes apparently had a settlement of permanent structures for their families, and perhaps it was, or came to be called, Nazareth. It is in the “hill country” where apparently only few choose to live. One of the reasons Nazareth did not grow significantly over centuries is because the only reliable water supply was one small spring, until modern times.

The Catholic monastic order of “White Friars” currently established on Mount Carmel moved there in the 12th century. They adopted vegetarianism and the white robes of the Essene monks that still survived when the friars arrived. The Catholic “Carmelites” assert that Yeshua was an Essene and he was raised on Mount Carmel. Such information is available from various sources including The Essene Christ by Upton Ewing, the Catholic Carmelites’ own history books, and the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, vol. 5., pg. 358.

 

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This lesson is the second installment in a series of introductory Essene studies.

 The foundation series will provide background history and an understanding of the fundamentals of our worship to those who are new to the Essene Way. 

This study time will replace our Sabbath message today. 

Our church leader, Rev. Vivian, is traveling in Arizona searching for a new location in which to base the ministry. 

Call to God

Click below. Listen and recite the invocation in Hebrew along with the cantor.  Let the words resonate within you. Open your heart and prepare to study with Wisdom.

   "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one"

 Deuteronomy 6:4

 Prayer

Our Father and Mother

who are in heaven, 

and around us,

and within us

 Holy is Your Name.

Your Kingdom is upon us,

as is Your will.

Your are here on earth,

and in the heavens.

We are never in need

because You provide.

By forgiving our mistakes, 

You have taught us

to forgive others.

You lead your children

in the path of light,

and guide us away 

from the darkness

because Your kingdom

and power, and glory

are within us.

Amen

Scripture Reading

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
       because the LORD has anointed me
       to preach good news to the poor.
       He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
       to proclaim freedom for the captives
       and release from darkness for the prisoners, 

 ² to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
       and the day of vengeance of our God,
       to comfort all who mourn,

 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
       to bestow on them a crown of beauty
       instead of ashes,
       the oil of gladness
       instead of mourning,
       and a garment of praise
       instead of a spirit of despair.
       They will be called oaks of righteousness,
       a planting of the LORD
       for the display of his splendor.

 ⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and restore the places long devastated;
       they will renew the ruined cities
       that have been devastated for generations.

Isaiah 61: 1-4

 ¹⁶He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
 ¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
      because he has anointed me
      to preach good news to the poor.
   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
      and recovery of sight for the blind,
   to release the oppressed,
    ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

 ²⁰Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:14-20

 

 

Lesson 

 

This lessons explores a sect of 1^st century Essenes known as Therapeutae. The Therapeutae and Therapeutridae (the female members of the sect) were an early pre-Christian Essenic order. The Therapeutae were healers, mystics and ascetics who lived especially in the area around Alexandria. Most of what we know of this sect has been derived from the writings of  the Jewish philosopher, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria. Philo knew of the group from personal experience. Philo lived from 20 BC to 50 AD. He was a Jew from an aristocratic family that had lived in Alexandria for generations. He is our only ancient source on the Therapuetae. Fortunately he provided a very detailed description of their lifestyle.

Philo was a skilled philosopher and a prolific writer. His work was highly valued by the Jewish community and the early Christians and as a result many of his writings have survived intact. Philo described the Therapeutae in one of his writings, "De Vita Contemplativa" (On the Contemplative Life") circa AD10. From him we learn that the Therapeutae had a well established community on a low hill by the Lake Mareotis close to Alexandria, the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt. Philo was also aware that there were many other communities of Therapeutae established in other regions. Philo stated that "this class of persons may be met with in many places, for both Greece and barbarian countries want to enjoy whatever is perfectly good." (Philo, para.)

Philo explained the etymology of their name as meaning either physicians of souls or servants of God. The Greek word, from which Therapeutae is derived, θεραπεύω, can be translated either "to heal" or "to serve'. Philo differentiated the Therapeutae from other Essenic communities by their lifestyles. The other Essene groups led a more practical and active life. They raised families and participated in the community. The Therapeutae, on the other hand, were dedicated to contemplative life. As such, the Therapeutae are considered the forerunners of current monastic orders.

The practices of the Therapeutae that were described by Philo are often pointed out as the first picture of Christian monastic life. Eusebius of Caesarea, was the first to give the Therapeutae this distinction. Eusebius was a bishop in Palestine around 300 AD. He is often considered the "Father of Church History" due to his work of recording the history of the early church. Eusebius was so sure of his identification of Therapeutae with Christian monasticism that he concluded that Philo, who admired them so much, must also have  been a Christian himself. He did not realize that Philo's essay was written when Yeshua was just a small child! This only serves to emphasize, however, that the Essenes were indeed the precursor and creators of the early church of the Way.

In describing the Therapeutae, Philo writes, "They lived chastely with utter simplicity. They first of all laid down temperance as a sort of foundation for the soul to rest upon and proceed to build up other virtues on this foundation." They were dedicate to the contemplative life. Their activities for six days of the week consisted of disciplined practices, fasting, prayers, and study of the scripture. Philo states, "the entire interval from dawn to evening is given up by them to spiritual exercises". "They read the holy scriptures and draw out thought and allegory for their ancestral philosophy, since they regard the literal meanings as symbols of an inner and hidden nature revealing itself in covert ideas" (Philo, para. 28)

Like the first Christian hermits of the Egyptian desert, the Therapeutae lived alone rather than communally as the later monastic communities would do.  They gathered together on the Sabbath for prayer and a common meal. Then once every 7 weeks (49 days) they would meet for an all night vigil in which they would serve one another. Philo stated, "they are not waited on by slaves, because they deem any possession of servants to be contrary to nature. For she has begotten all men alike free" (Philo, para 70) The renunciation of slavery was a common philosophy in Essene and early Christian congregations.  The Therapeutae also renounced all property as did the early church of Yeshua.

The Therapeutae had a great reputation for healing. They enjoyed great health themselves as well. In Philo's view the reason for this health and for their ability to heal others was the lifestyle that they lived. He stated that the Theraeutae "professed an art of healing superior to that practiced in the cities". Their art of healing derives from the simplicity of their way of life. Escaping the noise of the city, they embrace the natural way, living in the gardens, enjoying the fresh air and the calm and beauty of the countryside. Apart from that, they have the opportunity to practice inner solitude, not because they are misanthropes, but because they are aware that "in every city, even the best governed, is full of turmoils and disturbances innumerable which no one could endure who has ever been once under the guidance of wisdom".

Various formative influences on the Therapeutae have been conjectured. In addition to the five books of Moses and the psalms, the Therapeutae utilized other holy books. They also had a method of numerology that they incorporated into their philosophy.  Book of Enoch and Jubilees exemplify the Hebrew tradition for the mystic values of numbers and for allegorical interpretations, without having to reach to Zoroaster or Pythagoreans.

There is obvious correlation between the healing ministries of the Therapeutae and the ministry of Yeshua. Yeshua is associated  with many miracles in the course of his ministry. The bulk of His miracles were healings or various cures. There are also a large number of exorcisms, three raisings of dead persons to life, and various other miracles that all include the healing of either the mind, the body or the soul. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Yeshua spent his early childhood in Egypt. Joseph and Mary, as Essene Jews, would most likely have fled to communities of similar philosophy. They fled to the Therapeutae, the Essene healers of Egypt. 

It is appropriate then, that Yeshua, the great healer, when he began his ministry, would stand in the synagogue and read the scripture from Isaiah 61 that we read in the scriptures above. Read the words again and you will see it is all about healing. He was sent to  give sight to the blind, "bind up the broken hearted" (emotional healing), comfort those who mourn" (healing grief), and "restore the places long devastated" (heal society).

The Therapeutae were the epitome of Essene society in their holiness and purity. They devoted themselves to study and worship of God. It was out of this purity of lifestyle that they were able to heal others. One can not be a healer until one is already whole.   Yeshua was the epitome of a Therapeutae. Through His life and His ministry to others he provided us with a road map- the Way, to heal ourselves. Then, He went a step further. He commissioned His disciples to go out and share the good news of the Kingdom of God AND heal the sick. Healing is an integral part of the ministry of God's chosen. With the joy, security, and strength that come from finding our place in the family of God, comes responsibility. Those who are made whole are to tend the wounded in this world. As followers of Yeshua, we have the same calling delineated in  Isaiah 61.  I encourage you to read those words again aloud now.  Make them your own.

You see, we have not just been studying about an ancient order of Jews that died out in the 1st century AD. We have been learning about eternal principles and guidelines that began before creation. These are principles of correct choices, upright lifestyle, and pure living that lead to enlightenment of spirit.  It is the Essene path that was followed by Enoch, Noah, Moses, and a multitude of others. As called, chosen and enlightened souls following the Way of Yeshua, YOU are Therapeutae and Therapeutridae 

The Healing Miracles of Yeshua

Healing of a woodcutter's foot; Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Playmate killed and raised from dead; Infancy Narrative of James

Cure of centurion's son (servant) Mt 8:5–13 Lk 7:1–10 Jn 4:46–54

Cure of a demoniac Mk 1:23–28 Lk 4:33–37

Cure of Peter's mother-in-law' s fever Mt 8:14–15 Mk 1:29–31 Lk 4:38

Cure of a leper Mt 8:1–4 Mk 1:40–45 Lk 5:12–19

Cure of a paralytic at Capharnaum Mt 9:1–8 Mk 1:40–45 Lk 4:12–19

Cure of a sick man at Bethesda Jn 5:1–15

Healing of a man's withered hand Mt 12:9–13 Mk 3:1–6 Lk 6:6–11

Raising of the son of the widow of Nain Lk 7:11–17

Healing of a blind and dumb demoniac Mt 12:22

Expulsion of demons in Gadara Mt 8:29–34 Mk 4:35–41 Lk 8:26–39

Raising (curing) of Jairus' daughter Mt 9:18–26 Mk 5:21–43 Lk 8:40

Healing of a woman with a hemorrhage Mt 9:20–22 Mk 5:24–34 Lk 8:43

Restoration of two men's sight Mt 9:27–31

Healing of a mute demoniac Mt 9:32–34

Exorcism of a Canaanite (Syro-Phoenecian) woman Mt 15:21–28 Mk 7:24

Healing of a deaf-mute Mk 7:31–37

Restoration of a man's sight at Bethsaida Mk 8:22

Exorcism of a possessed boy Mt 17:14–21 Mk 9:13–28 Lk 9:37–43

Healing of the blind man Bartimaus Jn 9:1–38

Healing of large numbers of crippled, blind and mute Mt 15:29

Healing of a woman on the Sabbath Lk 13:10–17

Raising of Lazarus from the dead Jn 11:1–44

Healing of a man with dropsy Lk 14:1–6

Healing of ten lepers Lk 17:11–19

Healing of two blind men at Jericho Mt 20:29–34 Mk 10:46–52 Lk 18:35

Healing of High Priest's servant's ear

Of all the miracles of  Yeshua, only five do not include a healing or a cure. They are also the five miracles of Yeshua that are considered metaphors or pictures of a greater spiritual lesson. In other words, they were a way for Yeshua to drive home a great spiritual point. These miracles were:

Turning water into wine Jn 2:1–11

Feeding the 5000 Mt 14:13–21 Mk 6:34–44 Lk 9:12–17 Jn 6:1–15

Calming a storm at sea Mt 8:23–27 Mk 4:35–41 Lk 8:22–25

Converting bread and wine into his Body and Blood Mt 26:26–30 Mk 14:22–26 Lk 22:14–20 1 Cor 11:23–26

Walking on water Mt 14:22 Mk 6:45–52 Jn 6:16–21

 

Selected Excerpts from Philo's Writings on Therapeutae

(To read the full essay click here)

 

(1) Having mentioned the Essenes, who in all respects selected for their admiration and for their especial adoption the practical course of life, and who excel in all, or what perhaps may be a less unpopular and invidious thing to say, in most of its parts, I will now proceed, in the regular order of my subject, to speak of those who have embraced the speculative life, and I will say what appears to me to be desirable to be said on the subject, not drawing any fictitious statements from my own head for the sake of improving the appearance of that side of the question which nearly all poets and essayists are much accustomed to do in the scarcity of good actions to extol, but with the greatest simplicity adhering strictly to the truth itself, to which I know well that even the most eloquent men do not keep close in their speeches.

Nevertheless we must make the endeavour and labour to attain to this virtue; for it is not right that the greatness of the virtue of the men should be a cause of silence to those who do not think it right that anything which is creditable should be suppressed in silence.

Regarding The Name Therapeutae

(2) Now the lifestyle of these philosophers is at once displayed from the appellation given to them; for with strict regard to etymology, they are called Therapeutae and Therapeutrides,\1/ either because they profess an art of medicine more excellent than that in general use in cities (for that only heals bodies, but the other heals souls which are under the mastery of terrible and almost incurable diseases, which pleasures and appetites, fears and griefs, and covetousness, and follies, and injustice, and all the rest of the innumerable multitude of other passions and vices, have inflicted upon them), or else because they have been instructed by nature and the sacred laws to serve the living God, who is superior to the good, and more simple than the one, and more ancient than the monad; (3) with whom, however, who is there of those who profess piety that we can possibly compare?

Search for Comparison with Other Religious Groups

Can we compare those who honour the elements, earth, water, air, and fire? to whom different nations have given different names, calling fire Hephaestus, I imagine because of its kindling,\2/ and the air Hera, I imagine because of its being raised up,\3/ and raised aloft to a great height, and water Poseidon, probably because of its being drinkable,\4/ and the earth Demeter, because it appears to be the mother\5/ of all plants and of all animals....

(7) Again, what shall we say of those who worship carved works and images? the substances of which, stone and wood, were only a little while before perfectly destitute of shape, before the stone-cutters or wood-cutters hewed them out of the kindred stuff around them, while the remainder of the material, their near relation and brother as it were, is made into ewers, or foot-pans, and other common and dishonoured vessels, which are employed rather for uses of darkness than for such as will bear the light; (8) for as for the customs of the Egyptians, it is not creditable even to mention them, for they have introduced irrational beasts, ...(9) And though they actually see that these animals are born, and that they are in need of food, and that they are insatiable in voracity and full of all sorts of filth, and moreover poisonous and devourers of men, and liable to be destroyed by all kinds of diseases, and that in fact they are often destroyed not only by natural deaths, but also by violence, still they, ...though rational men, they worship irrational beasts; though they have a near relationship to the Deity, they worship creatures unworthy of being compared even to some of the beasts; though appointed as rulers and masters, they worship creatures which are by nature subjects and slaves.

II. (10) But since these men infect not only their fellow countrymen, but also all that come near them with folly, let them remain uncovered, being mutilated in that most indispensable of all the outward senses, namely, sight. I am speaking here not of the sight of the body, but of that of the soul, by which alone truth and falsehood are distinguished from one another.

The Incomparable Therapeutae

(11) But the therapeutic race [Greek genoV], being continually taught to see without interruption, may well aim at obtaining a sight of the living God, and may pass by the sun, which is visible to the outward sense, and never leave this order which conducts to perfect happiness. (12) But they who apply themselves to this kind of service, not because they are influenced to do so by custom, nor by the advice or recommendation of any particular persons, but because they are carried away by a certain heavenly love, give way to enthusiasm, behaving like so many revellers in bacchanalian or corybantian mysteries, until they see the object which they have been earnestly desiring.

Conclusion

(90) This then is what I have to say of those who are called Therapeutae, who have devoted themselves to the contemplation of nature, and who have lived in it and in the soul alone, being citizens of heaven and of the world, and very acceptable to the Father and Creator of the universe because of their virtue, which has procured them his love as their most appropriate reward, which far surpasses all the gifts of fortune, and conducts them to the very summit and perfection of happiness.

 

 

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Scripture Reading

The Jews, long before the time of Jesus, were divided into three main sects, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. The Sadducees included mainly the priestly and aristocratic families. The Pharisees constituted the scribes and sages that adhered to strict interpretation of the Torah. The Essenes were a separatist group, part of which formed an ascetic monastic community that retreated to the wilderness.

Why are the gospels silent about the Essenes, though they introduce us to the Pharisees, the Sadducees and even the Herodians- not a major sect? Jesus is recorded to have frequently rebuked and denounced both the Sadducees and Pharisees, but it is not related that he once mentioned the Essenes by name. Could it be that the people at the center of the story were the Essenes? This theory seems intuitively correct. Why would the writers have to explain or expound upon the Essene sect if they, themselves were Essenes? It would be more natural to mention the encounters  that their group, the Essenes, had with the other sects with whom they were at odds.

Neither Paul nor any of the other writers of epistles in the New Testament mentions the Essenes. It is as if they did not existed, even though we know they did. Three noted writers from the first century AD, Pliny, Josephus and Philo, provide us with descripitions of the Essenes. Pliny was a Roman naturalist who described the Essenes in his writings on natural history circa 70 AD. Josephus was a Roman historian who was also of Jewish ancestry. In his two famous books, The Jewish War, and Antiquities of the Jews,  Josephus, describes the Essenes in some detail. Philo was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 20 BC, died about 60 AD and was probably an Essenian Jew himself.

Philo provided a very admiring and detailed account of Essene Life.  We are informed by both Philo and Josephus that at the period in which John the Baptist and Jesus were born the Essenes were scattered all over Palestine, and that they numbered about four thousand souls. They speak with great respect and reverence of this sect, as surpassing all others in virtue. Josephus informs us that they led the same kind of life as the Pythagoreans in Greece, and that by their excellent virtue they were thought worthy even of divine revelations. Philo says they were honoured with the appellation of Essenes because of their exceeding holiness. 

Philo speculated that the name "Essenes" was derived from the Greek word, "hosios", meaning holy. It has also been speculated by others that the name originated from the Hebrew word, "hasidim", which is translated as "pious ones". The name was not a self-appellation. It was how the group was perceived by outsiders. The Essenes were generally thought of as holy, pure and righteous people by their contemporaries.

The Essene Jews referred to themselves as Judah in their writings preserved in the dead sea scrolls. They thought of themselves as the true nation of Judah. They felt that the other two sects had corrupted the holy teachings. The Essenes refused to participate in the sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead they separated themselves to follow as closely as possible the true Way ordained by Yahweh.

Their cardinal principles were active benevolence and self-discipline. They had an esoteric school guarded by secrecy, accessible through novitiate and degrees. Josephus, describing the rule of a community, presents the picture of a tranquil life, divided between practical avocations, assemblies, and ritual observances.

The Essenes traced their origin to Enoch, the good man who walked with God. One of the major Essene writings preserved in the Dead Sea scrolls is titled, "The Book of Enoch". They claim Melchizedek, an archetype of Yeshua (Jesus Christ) as the first high priest of the Essene order. Melchizedek was the priest to whom Abraham gave tithes. Some believe that Melchizedek was an actual manifestation of Yeshua. Thus Yeshua began the Essene movement, as well as facilitating the start of the Jewish religion through Abraham.

The history of the Essene brotherhood can be traced by looking at the development of the Jewish religion. It begins at the time of Melchizedek and the establishment of the Order of Melchizedek. It combines with Abraham when he pays homage to Melchizedek. It continues through Jacob (the story of Jacob’s ladder and of his wrestling with the angel). The Essene legacy is preserved through Joseph, another representation of Yeshua - saviour of his family. Then the Essene revelation returns through the great spiritual leader,Moses, who led the Jewish people out of bondage in Egypt. God spoke to Moses in the burning bush at Mount Sinai, which was a direct revelation of the Godhead.

Moses was given the Ten Commandments--which are very similar to the teachings that Melchizedek (Yeshua) gave to Abraham. Upon Moses’ death when he ascended, Joshua, another archetype of Yeshua, took over and led the Jewish people into the Promised Land.

The Essene, Jewish, Melchizedek, and Christian lineages are, in truth, one lineage, which sets the stage for spiritual teachings for humankind. Moses brought forth the law. Yeshua carried forth the law of Moses and added the love principle. Yeshua was the Messiah the Jewish people were waiting for, but it was only the Essenes who recognized that.

Yeshua was born into an Essene family and the Essenes were the first followers of Yeshua. They were the disciples. They were the ones gathered in the upper room in Acts. They were the early church. A future lesson will discuss all the similarities between Essene and early church beliefs. Here are just a few to help clarify why we know that the Essenes and the early church are one and the same. The Essenes believed in Baptism. They believed in tithing.  They were opposed to taking oathes. They simply said "yes" or "no". The Essenes taught that the physical body was the temple of the soul. Their doctrine was that their physical bodies were corruptible, but their souls were immortal. 

The Essenes were and are the true church. All those who follow the Way today...no matter what they call themselves... they are really Essenes.  If you love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself and if you want to follow the Way Yeshua taught, you are an Essene. Why not accept and acknowledge your heritage now. Come home. The Father and Mother are waiting for you.

Quotes from the First Century Authors Regard Essenes

Josephus, "The Jewish War" Book 2,  Chapter 8

119 For three forms of philosophy are pursued among the Judeans: the members of one are Pharisees, of another Sadducees, and the third [school], who certainly are reputed to cultivate seriousness, are called Essenes; although Judeans by ancestry, they are even more mutually affectionate than the others. 120 Whereas these men shun the pleasures as vice, they consider self-control and not succumbing to the passions virtue.

122 Since [they are] despisers of wealth—their communal stock is astonishing—, one cannot find a person among them who has more in terms of possessions. For by a law, those coming into the school must yield up their funds to the order, with the result that in all [their ranks] neither the humiliation of poverty nor the superiority of wealth is detectable, but the assets of each one have been mixed in together, as if they were brothers, to create one fund for all.

No one city is theirs, but they settle amply in each. And for those school-members who arrive from elsewhere, all that the community has is laid out for them in the same way as if they were their own things, and they go in and stay with those they have never even seen before as if they were the most intimate friends. For this reason they make trips without carrying any baggage at all—though armed on account of the bandits. In each city a steward of the order appointed specially for the visitors is designated quartermaster for clothing and the other amenities. Dress and also deportment of body: like children being educated with fear. They replace neither clothes nor footwear until the old set is ripped all over or worn through with age. Among themselves, they neither shop for nor sell anything; but each one, after giving the things that he has to the one in need, takes in exchange anything useful that the other has. And even without this reciprocal giving, the transfer to them [of goods] from whomever they wish is unimpeded Toward the Deity, at least: pious observances uniquely [expressed]. Before the sun rises, they utter nothing of the mundane things, but only certain ancestral prayers to him, as if begging him to come up. After these things, they are dismissed by the curators to the various crafts that they have each come to know, and after they have worked strenuously until the fifth hour they are again assembled in one area, where they belt on linen covers and wash their bodies in frigid water. After this purification they gather in a private hall, into which none of those who hold different views may enter: now pure themselves, they approach the dining room as if it were some [kind of] sanctuary. After they have seated themselves in silence, the baker serves the loaves in order, whereas the cook serves each person one dish of one food. The priest offers a prayer before the food, and it is forbidden to taste anything before the prayer; when he has had his breakfast he offers another concluding prayer. While starting and also while finishing, then, they honor God as the sponsor of life. At that, laying aside their clothes as if they were holy, they apply themselves to their labors again until evening. They dine in a similar way: when they have returned, they sit down with the vistors, if any happen to be present with them, and neither yelling nor disorder pollutes the house at any time, but they yield conversation to one another in order. And to those from outside, the silence of those inside appears as a kind of shiver-inducing mystery. The reason for this is their continuous sobriety and the rationing of food and drink among them—to the point of fullness. As for other areas: although there is nothing that they do without the curators’ having ordered it, these two things are matters of personal prerogative among them: [rendering] assistance and mercy. For helping those who are worthy, whenever they might need it, and also extending food to those who are in want are indeed left up to the individual; but in the case of the relatives, such distribution is not allowed to be done without [permission from] the managers. Of anger, just controllers; as for temper, able to contain it; of fidelity, masters; of peace, servants. And whereas everything spoken by them is more forceful than an oath, swearing itself they avoid, considering it worse than the false oath; for they declare to be already degraded one who is unworthy of belief without God. They are extraordinarily keen about the compositions of the ancients, selecting especially those [oriented] toward the benefit of soul and body. On the basis of these and for the treatment of diseases, roots, apotropaic materials, and the special properties of stones are investigated. To those who are eager for their school, the entry-way is not a direct one, but they prescribe a regimen for the person who remains outside for a year, giving him a little hatchet as well as the aforementioned waist-covering and white clothing. Whenever he should give proof of his self-control during this period, he approaches nearer to the regimen and indeed shares in the purer waters for purification, though he is not yet received into the functions of communal life. For after this demonstration of endurance, the character is tested for two further years, and after he has thus been shown worthy he is reckoned into the group. Before he may touch the communal food, however, he swears dreadful oaths to them: first, that he will observe piety toward the deity; then, that he will maintain just actions toward humanity; that he will harm no one, whether by his own deliberation or under order; that he will hate the unjust and contend together with the just; that he will always maintain faithfulness to all, especially to those in control, for without God it does not fall to anyone to hold office, and that, should he hold office, he will never abuse his authority—outshining his subordinates, whether by dress or by some form of extravagant appearance; always to love the truth and expose the liars; that he will keep his hands pure from theft and his soul from unholy gain; that he will neither conceal anything from the school-members nor disclose anything of theirs to others, even if one should apply force to the point of death. In addition to these, he swears that he will impart the precepts to no one otherwise than as he received them, that he will keep away from banditry, and that he will preserve intact their school’s books and the names of the angels. With such oaths as these they completely secure those who join them. Those they have convicted of sufficiently serious errors they expel from the order. And the one who has been reckoned out often perishes by a most pitiable fate. For, constrained by the oaths and customs, he is unable to partake of food from others. Eating grass and in hunger, his body wastes away and perishes. That is why they have actually shown mercy and taken back many in their final gasps, regarding as sufficient for their errors this ordeal to the point of death.

146 They make it point of honor to submit to the elders and to a majority. So if ten were seated together, one person would not speak if the nine were unwilling

152 The war against the Romans proved their souls in every way: during it, while being twisted and also bent, burned and also broken, and passing through all the torture-chamber instruments, with the aim that they might insult the lawgiver or eat something not customary, they did not put up with suffering either one: not once gratifying those who were tormenting [them], or crying. 153 But smiling in their agonies and making fun of those who were inflicting the tortures, they would cheerfully dismiss their souls, [knowing] that they would get them back again. For the view has become tenaciously held among them that whereas our bodies are perishable and their matter impermanent, our souls endure forever, deathless: they get entangled, having emanated from the most refined ether, as if drawn down by a certain charm into the prisons that are bodies. 155 But when they are released from the restraints of the flesh, as if freed from a long period of slavery, then they rejoice and are carried upwards in suspension. For the good, on the one hand, sharing the view of the sons of Greece they portray the lifestyle reserved beyond Oceanus and a place burdened by neither rain nor snow nor heat, but which a continually blowing mild west wind from Oceanus refreshes.

159 There are also among them those who profess to foretell what is to come, being thoroughly trained in holy books, various purifications, and concise sayings of prophets. Rarely if ever do they fail in their predictions.

160 There is also a different order of Essenes. Though agreeing with the others about regimen and customs and legal matters, it has separated in its opinion about marriage. For they hold that those who do not marry cut off the greatest part of life, the succession, and more: if all were to think the same way, the line would very quickly die out. 161 To be sure, testing the brides in a three-year interval, once they have been purified three times as a test of their being able to bear children, they take them in this manner; but they do not continue having intercourse with those who are pregnant, demonstrating that the need for marrying is not because of pleasure, but for children. Baths [are taken] by the women wrapping clothes around themselves, just as by the men in a waist-covering. Such are the customs of this order

Philo (Aprox 20 AD):

"They do not offer animal sacrifice, judging it more fitting to render their minds truly holy. They flee the cities and live in villages where clean air and clean social life abound. They either work in the fields or in crafts that countribute to peace. They do not hoard silver and gold and do not acquire great landholdings; procuring for themselves only what is necessary for life. Thus they live without goods and without property, not by missfortune, but out of preference. They do not make armaments of any kind. They do not keep slaves and detest slavery. They avoid wholesale and retail commerce, believing that such activity excites one to cupidity. With respect to philosophy, they dismiss logic but have an extremely high regard for virtue. They honor the Sabbath with great respect over the other days of the week. They have an internal rule which all learn, together with rules on piety, holiness, justice and the knowledge of good and bad. These they make use of in the form of triple definitions, rules regarding the love of God, the love of virtue, and the love of men. They believe God causes all good but cannot be the cause of any evil. They honor virtue by foregoing all riches, glory and pleasure. Further, they are convinced they must be modest, quiet, obedient to the rule, simple, frugal and without mirth. Their life style is communal. They have a common purse. Their salaries they deposit before them all, in the midst of them, to be put to the common employment of those who wish to make use of it. They do not neglect the sick on the pretext that they can produce nothing. With the common purse there is plenty from which to treat all illnesses. They lavish great respect on the elderly. With them they are very generous and surround them with a thousand attentions. They practice virtue like a gymnastic exercise, seeing the accomplishment of praiseworthy deeds as the means by which a man ensures absolute freedom for himself."

"The Essenes live in a number of towns in Judea, and also in many villages and in large groups. They do not enlist by race, but by volunteers who have a zeal for righteousness and an ardent love of men. For this reason there are no young children among the Essenes. Not even adolescents or young men. Instead they are men of old or ripe years who have learned how to control their bodily passions. They possess nothing of their own, not house, field, slave nor flocks, nor anything which feeds and procures wealth. They live together in brotherhoods, and eat in common together. Everything they do is for the common good of the group. They work at many different jobs and attack their work with amazing zeal and dedication, working from before sunrise to almost sunset without complaint, but in obvious exhilaration. Their exercise is their work. Indeed, they believe their own training to be more agreeable to body and soul, and more lasting, than athletic games, since their exercises remain fitted to their age, even when the body no longer possesses its full strength. They are farmers and shepherds and beekeepers and craftsmen in diverse trades. They share the same way of life, the same table, even the same tastes; all of them loving frugality and hating luxury as a plague for both body and soul. Not only do they share a common table, but common clothes as well. What belongs to one belongs to all. Available to all of them are thick coats for winter and inexpensive light tunics for summer

Pliny the Elder in his famous writing "Natural History":  

"To the west (of the Dead Sea) the Essenes have put the necessary distance between themselves and the insalubrious shore. They are a people unique of its kind and admirable beyond all others in the whole world; without women and renouncing love entirely, without money and having for company only palm trees. Owing to the throng of newcomers, this people is daily reborn in equal number; indeed, those whom, wearied by the fluctuations of fortune, life leads to adopt their customs, stream in in great numbers. Thus, unbeleivable though this may seem, for thousands of centuries a people has existed which is eternal yet into which no one is born: so fruitful for them is the repentance which others feel for their past lives!"

 

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