5. 26th July 1986. Aspiring members received three itemsa hatchet, an apron, and a white garmentand had to undergo a detailed initiation process that included a year of probation. An excellent read. Joseph Smith was way ahead of you folks, what took you so long to find other sources and writings of Moses we have had for 200yrs? [10][11][12], In several places, however, Josephus has Essaios, which is usually assumed to mean Essene ("Judas of the Essaios race";[13] "Simon of the Essaios race";[14] "John the Essaios";[15] "those who are called by us Essaioi";[16] "Simon a man of the Essaios race"). Download The Teaching of Jesus the Essene Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. Nor is it known whether they adhered to a calendar of solar months such as that which the Qumran sect followed. Jesus is greater than Moses, because while Moses was a servant of God, Jesus is the Son of God ( Heb 3:3-4 ). [85]:50[86] Mandaean scripture affirms that the Mandaeans descend directly from John the Baptist's original Nasoraean Mandaean disciples in Jerusalem. ed. After the end of this war, the Essenes seem either to have disappeared or fled or dispersed: but the existence of copies of the Damascus Document in the Cairo Genizah may suggest that some of their traditions continued and influenced, among others, the *Karaites. Josephus says they made their own sacrifices, but Philo (Quod omnis 75) says that they did not sacrifice animals. All these authors seem dependent on earlier common sources, although Josephus (Life, 2) claims personal knowledge of the Essenes. to the end of the first century c.e. [37] Also, they were forbidden from swearing oaths[38] and from sacrificing animals. As a matter of fact, Palestine in the Second Commonwealth period was replete with various sects and movements, each contributing to the religious ferment of the times. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. John the Essene is listed as a general in Galilee and some may have been among the Zealots in the final hold-out at Masada. World Encyclopedia. The third sect, the Essenes, actually left Jerusalem to live in a kibbutz-like compound in Qumran (near the Dead Sea). [70], A few have argued that the Essenes had an idea of a pierced Messiah based on 4Q285, however the interpretation of the text is ambiguous, some scholars interpreted it as the Messiah being killed himself, while modern scholars mostly interpret it as the Messiah executing the enemies of Israel in an eschatological war. Technology has enabled us to spread the gospel all over the world within seconds. Sadducees Definition. So, who were these people who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? Frank Moore Cross's The Ancient Library of Qumrn and Modern Biblical Studies, rev. With the destruction of the province of Judaea following in the wake of the unsuccessful uprising against Rome in 6674 ce, the Essenes disappear from the stage of history. Is there a politico-religious doctrine at play? facts about the essenes. Stegemann, Hartmut. ", The Qumran scrolls have generally been interpreted as belonging to the Essenes, and their descriptions of sectarian communities cohere well with the classical sources, especially once the difference between the descriptions of the Damascus Document and the Community Rule is observed, since these differences can partly explain the discrepancies in the classical sources as well as control our interpretation of them. Although the interpretation of the Qumran settlement is currently controversial, the site has generally been regarded as according well with the accounts of Essene lifestyle reported in the ancient sources, and this settlement has been understood either as a headquarters or a retreat center for the wider movement (Stegemann), or the home of a group that split off from the main body under the leadership of a figure named in the Qumran scrolls as the "Teacher of Righteousness." ." In his book, The Wars of the Jews, Josephus described the Essenes as one of the major groupings within Judaism. . Studying these spaces can help archaeologists answer the question Who were the Essenes?. The Essenes were a strict Torah observant, Messianic, apocalyptic, baptist, wilderness, new . Their secluded desert community was dedicated to prayer and study in preparation for the return of the Messiah. Bibliography: s. wagner, Die Essener in der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion (Berlin 1960), excellent bibliog. Claiming firsthand knowledge, he lists the Essenoi as one of the three sects of Jewish philosophy[4] alongside the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Corrections? He may have Visited, but some accounts say He acted out of charactor around the essenes. Most scholars[citation needed] believe that the community at Qumran that most likely produced the Dead Sea Scrolls was an offshoot of the Essenes. The Essenes were one of several sects of Judaism that emerged in the historical land of Israel, including the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots. After the members took their places at the table in silence, the baker and cook distributed the food to each in order of his status. the bible is just words, nobody saw anything, but look how powerful the word are. It's important to remember though: the Pharisees weren't some group of power hungry elite. , ELEPHANTINE (Aram. The site bears less then 10 single room houses set around a . Summary. [60], One theory on the formation of the Essenes suggests that the movement was founded by a Jewish high priest, dubbed by the Essenes the Teacher of Righteousness, whose office had been usurped by Jonathan (of priestly but not of Zadokite lineage), labeled the "man of lies" or "false priest". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Another theory is that the name was borrowed from a cult of devotees to Artemis in Anatolia, whose demeanor and dress somewhat resembled those of the group in Judea.[26]. All physical artefacts (incl. 8 years of Archaeology Odyssey online, exploring the ancient roots of the Western world in a scholarly and entertaining way, The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Goodman, The Essenes According to the Classical Sources (1989); T.S. F.F. 70106, argues for the identification of the Essenes with the Dead Sea sect. The derivation of the name is probably from the Aramaic plural (asn, asayy ) of asy, "holy, pious," the equivalent of the Hebrew sd. [61][62][unreliable source?] There he briefly describes the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. Encyclopedia.com. The Essenes were a religious and political group from Jerusalem's early history. However, I am looking forward to your PHYSICAL PROOF that I am wrong!!! The beliefs and lineage of the "Dead Sea Sect," as they're generally referred, have been debated, but many believe them to have been a group of Jewish ascetics, known as the Essenes. . The Essenes and some early Christians espoused a pious, ascetic life, deserting the city and the secular world for a life of solitary or communal prayer and self-denial. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; which yttd character are you uquiz. The All-Access membership pass is the way to get to know the Bible through biblical archaeology. . Others follow this line and a few argue that the Teacher of Righteousness was not only the leader of the Essenes at Qumran, but was also identical to the original Messianic figure about 150 years before the time of the Gospels. Suggestions of Iranian and Hellenistic influence are possible but cannot be documented. Then they were allowed to follow their routine and receive "more purifying washings for holiness" but were not yet permitted to take part in the common meals. January 2010. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes, "Essenes Those who were told to abstain from meats and practice the old law was asured by Paul it was not of God. Briefly described, eschatology is a belief that the end of the current age is near. Entrance into the community (B.J. ." [23] It is recognized as the etymology of the form Ossaioi (and note that Philo also offered an O spelling) and Essaioi and Esseni spelling variations have been discussed by VanderKam, Goranson, and others. 2.8.11). The Essene Jesus is a product of the Enlightenment. (For subsequent history, see qumran community. They also professed belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin. Philo invariably uses the second, and explains the name with reference to the Greek hosioi, while *Josephus uses both forms. Interested in the history and meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls? To call oneself a Modern Essene today requires spiritual warrior . Both Josephus and Philo estimate their numbers at about 4,000 in the first Christian century. They were a smaller group than the Sadducees or the Pharisees. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. After reading more from the book, WHO ARE THE ESSENES? Many scholars believe that this was a group called the Essenes. Not much is known of the Sadducees' origin and early history, but their name may be derived from that of Zadok, who was high priest in the time of Kings David and Solomon. Biblical Archaeology Review is the guide on that fascinating journey. Some scholars have claimed that Talmudic sources refer to the Essenes; however, the term Essene is not mentioned. 2.8.7) was severely controlled and required a type of novitiate. Essenes. By critically combining the evidence of the Qumran scrolls and the classical sources, the following description can be offered. [72], The Haran Gawaita uses the name Nasoraeans for the Mandaeans arriving from Jerusalem meaning guardians or possessors of secret rites and knowledge. Encyclopedia.com. The DSS, however, show grounds for suspecting considerable indirect influence, which does nothing to destroy the originality of Christianity. Subsequently, he had to undergo a further two years of probation, after which time he was to swear an oath, the only oath the Essenes permitted. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Encyclopedia.com. The Essenes seem to have eaten communal meals regularly. Encyclopedia.com. On the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls, they deemed themselves the only true Israel and regarded the religious observances of other Israelites, and especially in the Temple, as corrupt. Many wealthy Jews were Sadducees or sympathized with them. Some form of communal ownership of goods was allowed, apparently more complete in the yaad, which, as the name ("union") implies, may have seen itself as a corporate unit, whose holiness depended on the individual holiness of all its members who worked, ate, and studied in communion. Josephus relates that the Essenes were tortured by the Romans during the great revolt ( War 2.152 - 153); this may indicate further their participation in the war against the Romans. Video lectures from world-renowned experts. They originated about 100 B.C., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. to 68 C.E./A.D. "Essenes The Essenes. Encyclopedia.com. When we pass do you think we are to be judged by what we believed or how we live. In their purifications and angelology, the Essenes present certain parallels with Persian thought, parallels more obvious in the dualism of the DSS. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 06:57. [22] Although dozens of etymology suggestions have been published, this is the only etymology published before 1947 that was confirmed by Qumran text self-designation references, and it is gaining acceptance among scholars. . They considered it unlawful to eat meat or make sacrifices with it. Josephus describes the Essenes in passages of several of his books. Many researchers believe the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea scrolls. The study by Eyal Regev of Bar-Ilan University examines the architectural plan of Qumran and applies so-called access analysis to map the sites spatial organization in order to uncover the social ideology of the Essenes of Qumran. [3] Pliny relates in a few lines that the Essenes possess no money, had existed for thousands of generations, and that their priestly class ("contemplatives") do not marry. The writers who mentioned the Essenes are: Philo, Pliny, Dio Chrysostom, Josephus, Hippolytus and Epiphanius. [], Greetings to all of you, [88]:184 Mandaeans have an oral tradition that some were originally vegetarian[75]:32 and also similar to the Essenes, they are pacifists. . Epiphanius (4th century c.e.) Where Is the Original Siloam Pool from the Bible? The Essene community ceased to exist in its entirety at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/essenes-0. First, according to the Essene . The settlements of married members were organized on the basis of individual households, with wives and children included in the sect automatically. 18.1.5), a distrust flowing from their historic protest against its priesthood. This community also had dealings with non-Jews and owned slaves, though detailed accounts of such aspects are not provided. Hypnosis. The Herodians . Josephus tells us that one of the gates of Jerusalem was called "the Gate of the Essenes". tetra biblos, our real power was all of the above, so we need to start teaching our children again all that was taken. The Essenes laid a strong emphasis on scrupulous obedience to the Torah, as they interpreted it. After a years probation, proselytes received their Essenian emblems but could not participate in common meals for two more years. Jewish Antiquities contains a shorter account (18.1822). 18.5.9). Oxford: Clarendon Press 1963. 89 th section of Doctrine and Coventants and 48th section verse 18, shmoo , is like taking him out to look at the Sun at high noon and he will say, I dont see it!. For them, wealth was only a means to provide the necessities of life. //]]>. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Encyclopedia of Religion. The Essenes were experts in medicinal roots and the properties of stones, the healing powers of which they claimed to have derived from ancient writings. No real evidence for such a doctrine of preexistence has yet been found in the DSS. Purificatory baths were required before virtually all functions. Another form used by Philo and occasionally by Josephus is [symbol omitted]. We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues. For the phenomenon of Jewish sectarianism in the Greco-Roman period, see my "Jewish Sectarianism in Second Temple Times," in Great Schisms in Jewish History, edited by Raphael Jospe and Stanley M. Wagner (New York, 1981), pp. One of the three "philosophical schools" of ancient Judaism (along with the Pharisees and the Sadducees), the Essenes have been described by Josephus Flavius, discussed by Philo of Alexandria, and mentioned briefly by Pliny the Elder. Essene participation in wider Jewish affairs is hard to assess. The Way of the Essenes. Philo (De vita contemplativa ) also describes the Egyptian therapeutae, a group like the Essenes. Flavius Josephus in Chapter 8 of "The Jewish War" states: 2. Essene: [noun] a member of a monastic brotherhood of Jews in Palestine from the second century b.c. Final entrance was marked by a series of vows covering their duties to God and to fellow Essenes, and their obligations to keep the secrets of the group. Many scholars and researchers believe that one of the main Essene establishments were near Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. The added details on the Essenes in the Slavonic Josephus are of questionable value. After prayer, they worked at their occupations. The Essenes were an exclusive society, distinguished from the rest of the Jewish nation in Palestine by an organization peculiar to themselves, and by a theory of life in which a severe asceticism and a rare benevolence to one another and to mankind in general were the most striking A priest recited a short prayer before and after the meal. Hirschfeld's 'Essene Site' is at one of the most beautiful locations in Israel, on a spur overlooking the Oasis, the Dead Sea, and the Moab Mountains. Children were educated in the ways of the community. ." For Golb, the number of documents is too extensive and includes many different writing styles and calligraphies; the ruins seem to have been a fortress, used as a military base for a very long period of timeincluding the 1st centuryso they therefore could not have been inhabited by the Essenes; and the large graveyard excavated in 1870, just 50 metres (160ft) east of the Qumran ruins, was made of over 1200 tombs that included many women and children; Pliny clearly wrote that the Essenes who lived near the Dead Sea "had not one woman, had renounced all pleasure and no one was born in their race". [43][44][45], After a three-year probationary period,[46] new members would take an oath that included a commitment to practice piety to God and righteousness toward humanity; maintain a pure lifestyle; abstain from criminal and immoral activities; transmit their rules uncorrupted; and preserve the books of the Essenes and the names of the angels. The Dead Sea Scrolls were most likely written by the Essenes during the period from about 200 B.C. Josephus claims to have spent time with the Essenes at age 16 (ca. Cansdale, Lena. Tbingen, 1997. 3. ." a bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. [32], The accounts by Josephus and Philo show that the Essenes led a strictly communal lifeoften compared to later Christian monasticism. In The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, ed. The devotion to scripture, accountability to one another, and pursual of the same . Greek writers refer to them by names of which the most common are and . their private property to a common treasury. To many of our people are destroyed for thier knowledge. [30], Pliny locates them "on the west side of the Dead Sea, away from the coast [above] the town of Engeda". This figure is unnamed in the scrolls, but has been variously identified with known Essene figures mentioned by Josephus, in particular "Judah the Essene.". Although drawn from Jewish prophetic texts that spoke about the Day of Judgment,. The book reflects a mixture of mystical ideas of the Essene community with Christian concepts. Grand Rapids, Mich., 1998. Their origins are unclear. The Essenes emerged as a separate sect after the. The end product of the ferment mentioned above, combined with the great revolt of the Jews against Rome and the resulting destruction of the land, was rabbinic Judaism. 6 ce; Antiquities 17.345348); clearly, the Essenes were known for their prediction of the future. 28 Min Read. In looking at this timeline, keep in mind this is hypothetical and involves assumptions. Traveling members were taken care of by special officers in each town. On all these grounds they qualify to be called a "sect." ." A branch of the Pharisees who conformed to the most rigid rules of Levitical purity while aspiring to the highest degree of holiness. ESSENES , a religious communalistic Jewish sect or association in the latter half of the Second Temple period, from the second century b.c.e. Updates? Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/essenes. The Essenes were vegetarians; they avoided any form of alcohol except ceremonial wine; and they daily fed their bodies, minds, and souls with the contemplation of the earthly and cosmic forces that they poetically called angels. [54][55], The Essenes were unique for their time for being against the practice of slave-ownership, and slavery, which they regarded as unjust and ungodly, regarding all men as having been born equal. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Answer The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. According to Joseph Lightfoot, the Church Father Epiphanius (writing in the 4th century CE) seems to make a distinction between two main groups within the Essenes:[24] "Of those that came before his [Elxai, an Ossaean prophet] time and during it, the Ossaeans and the Nasaraeans. m. black, The Scrolls and Christian Origins: Studies in the Jewish Background of the New Testament (London 1961). 218247, accepts this identification yet discusses at length the problem of Hellenistic influence. ." The very fact that so many suggestions as to etymology have been made and that none has carried a scholarly consensus shows that the derivation of the term cannot be established with certainty. [68], Both the Essenes and the Christians used concepts of "light" and "darkness" for good and evil. Thus, for instance, Josephus' account fits rather well with the many settlements (called "camps" and "cities") of the "Damascus" community, and with the existence of marrying and non-marrying orders, with the lengthy initiation procedures, attitudes towards women, limited participation in the Temple cult, and strict adherence to Torah and Sabbath; while Pliny seems to allude to the yaad described in the Community Rule, which is represented as a single and entirely celibate community most likely that living at Qumran. Some scholars believe there was an Essene community in Jerusalem, but many also sought refuge in the desert in order to escape the perceived corruption of the Temple leadership and practices. Let the validation begin However, according to the Philosophumena (c. 225; generally ascribed to Hippolytus of Rome), the Essenes believed that the body survived as well and would eventually be revived. In all its activities, each Essene community was governed by rank and learning; the leaders directed the procedure, and named the persons to officiate. Later, they assembled for purification rituals and a communal meal that was prepared by priests and eaten while wearing special garments. The Essenes had some influence on other branches of Judaism. New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2.8:213; Antiquities (Ant. ) He relates the same information concerning piety, celibacy, the absence of personal property and of money, the belief in communality, and commitment to a strict observance of Sabbath. My new book, Secret of the Savior: The Myth of the Messiah in Mark, shows how the Essenes led to Christianity. Then followed another period of trial (two years according to Josephus, but Qumran indications point to one year) before the candidates were fully accepted. [], Your email address will not be published. Regev characterizes this approach to studying the Qumran community as social archaeology, now an established field of research which uses archaeological records to reconstruct the belief system and social organization of past societies., By physically dividing up and demarcating spaceswalls, doorways and entrances that are used on an everyday basisthe architecture thereby classifies and controls the movement of people and the spaces they inhabit. the result of a relaxation of an ideal. Josephus (B.J. Unlike Philo, who did not mention any particular geographical location of the Essenes other than the whole land of Israel, Pliny places them somewhere above Ein Gedi, next to the Dead Sea. 555597. Ritual purity was greatly emphasized. [87]:vi,ix Similar to the Essenes, it is forbidden for a Mandaean to reveal the names of the angels to a gentile. Their cult of the sun (B.J. Less probable are (4) from Heb. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran in 1947, a consensus has developed that identifies the sect of the scrolls with the Essenes described by Philo and Josephus. ." There is a wide diversity of opinion as to the etymology of the name "Essene." [82]:552553[73][83]:18[84] As Nasoraeans, Mandaeans believe that they constitute the true congregation of bnai nhura meaning 'Sons of Light', a term used by the Essenes. The only known literary parallels are in Essene texts from Qumran such as the Community Rule, which has similar phrases such as the "house of Perfection and Truth in Israel" (Community Rule 1QS VIII 9) and "house of Truth in Israel. Pliny says they lived "without women or money" but seems to consider them as living in one place only, "above En-Gedi." Required fields are marked *, COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Beall, Josephus' Description of the Essenes illustrated by the Dead Sea Scrolls (1988); P. Bar-Adon, "Another Settlement of the Judean Desert Sect at En e-Ghuweir on the Dead Sea," in: Bulletin of the American School of Archaeological Research, 227:126 (1977); Y. Hirschfeld, Qumran in Context: Reassessing the Archaeological Evidence (2004); J. Murphy-O'Connor, "The Essenes and Their History," in: Revue Biblique, 81: 21544 (1974); J. Kampen, "A Reconsideration of the Name 'Essene'," in: huca, 57 (1986), 6181; S. Goranson, "Essenes. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. The primary focus of the Modern Essenes today is a God-centered, ecstatic enlightenment, as was the inner circle of the Essenes in ancient times. Cohn-Wendland (Berlin 1896) v. 6], par. conducted by Dolores Cannon. Many of them weren't members of "the elite" at all. After a preliminary year of observation, the candidate was admitted to the common meals and to the purifications of the group. Some scholars regard both the Essenes and Pharisees as originating from the asidim mentioned in connection with the Maccabean revolt; but the different halakhah and calendar, as well as strong criticism of apparently Pharisaic beliefs and practices, make this unlikely. The treatment in Martin Hengel's Judaism and Hellenism, vol. in the Renaissance was the Hebrew word issiyyim (Essenes) coined. (Whether the Therapeutae should be regarded as linked to the Essenes, rather than just compared by Philo, is dubious); (3) from or ("the silent ones"), based on a passage from the Mishnah which mentions two rooms in the Temple of Jerusalem, one called the "chamber of utensils," and the other, the "chamber of " (chamber of "secrets" in H. Danby's translation). The Jains of India are very few in numbers mostly in western Indian states of Rajasthan , Gujarat and Maharashtra. ). In fact, some scholars suggest that the Essenes originated as a sect of Zadokites, which would indicate that the group itself had priestly, and thus Sadducaic origins. This communal living has led some scholars to view the Essenes as a group practicing social and material egalitarianism. Who were the Essenes? A gateway and nearby district near Mt. Numerous suggestions have been made regarding the etymology of the name, among which are derivation from Syriac ase ("pious"), Aramaic asayya ("healers"), Greek hosios ("holy"), and Hebrew ashaim ("silent ones"). Encyclopedia of Religion. If, indeed, the Essenes are to be identified with the sect of the Dead Sea Scrolls, then the Qumran evidence may be used to fill in the picture derived from the classical sources. This body became known as the Essenes. The New Testament does not have anything to say about them directly but there may be a couple of passages that allude to them. John the Essene was one of the Jewish generals in the great revolt against Rome in 6674 ce (War 2.567). The Essenes According to the Classical Sources. The Essenes were the Jains of India. [27], According to Josephus, the Essenes had settled "not in one city" but "in large numbers in every town". It may be assumed that in the case of married Essenes, full membership was not extended to women. They may (or may not) have established a monastery at Qumran that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Essenes were organized under officials to whom obedience was required. Pliny located the main Essene settlement above En-Gedi on the west shore of the Dead Sea; this fits well with the ruins discovered at Qumran. He then mentions Judas, an Essene prophet, who was instructing his disciples in fortune-telling during the reign of Judah Aristobulus I in 104 and 103 bce (Antiquities 13.311313). Josephus (B.J. and the many copies of a "War Rule" in the caves, in which the Romans appear as a thinly disguised enemy, support this claim. Four highly acclaimed books, published in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution: Aspects of Monotheism, Feminist Approaches to the Bible, The Rise of Ancient Israel and The Search for Jesus. Nearly 200 textiles left behind in caves in Qumran, Israel, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden suggest that at least some of the authors were from a Jewish religious sect called the Essenes, argue Sadducees. This group was noted for its piety and distinctive theology. Presiding functionaries (, , probably equivalent to the Qumran m ebaqqr ) were elected by the community. The Essenes apparently arose as inaugurators of a separate movement in about 150 b.c. (February 23, 2023). The very existence of a pre-Christian Jewish quasi-monastic (and celibate) community is important for the understanding of subsequent Christian ascetic practices. About 150 years before the birth of Jesus the Messiah, some of God's people the Essenes established a community in the Judea Wilderness near the northern end of the Dead Sea. Like the Pharisees, they stressed the need for personal piety and separation from the impurities of daily life, imposing on themselves levitical rules of purity: but while the Essenes (so Josephus) believed in the immortality of the soul, they rejected the Pharisaic doctrine of bodily resurrection.