The Essenes at Qumran

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Categories: History

The meaning of the name, Essene, is derived from a transliteration of the Greek Essenoi (perhaps meaning “holy”), which might have been applied to them by outsiders. The exact etymology of the word is unknown.
It probably did not evolve from the Hasidean sect.
Like the Hasidim, however, the Essenes were zealous for the law and resisted any influences of Hellenism.
Scholars liken the Essenes to an order, much like we might think of Christian monks.
They were part of a religious brotherhood, weighed down by minute and rigid rules, and adamantly opposed to outside influences.
Yet, if readers can believe the writings of Philo, Pliny the Elder, and Josephus, the Essenes shared much with outside influences.
Some scholars think they were highly influenced by their Greek neighbors, but others think their practices grew out of Zoroastrianism (Persians).
The Essenes were opposed to all shedding of blood; hence, they did not participate in any animal sacrifice and avoided the temple at all costs.
They believed that sacrifices polluted the temple, so the best sacrifice would be a respectful mind and a clean heart.
They did not drink, nor did they use oil for anointing.
They allowed marriage only for the purpose of procreation.
They were known to wear garments of white (preferably made of linen, not wool).
And they were obsessed with ritual purifications and washed frequently. They were very aware of Levitical defilements and diligently avoided them. If a probationary person even touched a senior, that touch brought defilement upon the latter.
They prohibited the taking of oaths except at the time when they were admitted as full members into the society. Then they promised to honor God, be just and loyal to all, and never to think of themselves as better than another. Giving their word was so sacred that they were never required to take a secular oath.
They shared all in common yet had a hierarchical society wherein members were expected to submit to their superiors.
They paid great attention to the sick and were highly solicitous toward the aged. They also showed great kindness to strangers.
They had no slavery, but each member was to serve the other.
Mostly, they were engaged in agriculture and were a very peaceful people. They had no weapons of war.
They were not allowed to look upon any coins that had images upon them, so most of their trading was done by the barter system. Nor were they allowed to enter into a city that had statues on the gates of the city.
If someone needed to be punished, they were simply excommunicated from the group. Since they had stringent dietary requirements, excommunication usually resulted in death.
They arose before daybreak and maintained silence until sunrise. They prayed to the sun almost as if enticing it to come up. Some believe they honored the divine by revering the rising sun. Others claim this bordered on idolatry.
After sunrise, they worked until about eleven. Then they all washed, put on clean white garments, and gathered in the common dining room without speaking. More prayers were said before anyone could eat or talk.
Afterwards they would go out and work until evening. Then the same routine was followed – bathing, changing of clothes, praying, eating.
Their evening meals were open to strangers, who often commented on the silences. Many felt it was both solemn and mysterious.
They were very strict about their observance of the Sabbath; for instance, they did not use utensils for eating. Some writers have suggested that they would not even “answer the call of nature” on the Sabbath.
They did believe in angels but not in magic.
They thought the gift of prophecy was the highest form of wisdom and were quite proficient in predicting the future.
They also believed in life after death.
As far as scholars can tell, they harbored no teachings/hope of a messianic deliverer.
They had a three-year probationary period during which time candidates were tested before being accepted into full fellowship.
The home of the Essenes was on the eastern shores of Palestine, along the Dead Sea.
Some scholars think they used the caves in this area as their local library because a shelving system was found in the caves.
According to Josephus, there were three Judaic sects in the time of Jesus: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Essenes.
Because Jesus does not mention the Essenes, some scholars have speculated that he may have been one.
Others believe that he didn’t mention them because they were so small (their numbers were estimated to be around 4,000 total), hence, insignificant and removed from society-at-large.
Their habits kept them from being involved on any large political/religious scale.
In writing about them, Philo, Pliny, and Josephus might have invested them with much more importance than they had.
The Essenes, of course, were a natural curiosity to historians for their theology and philosophy. But, in reality, they were quite inconsequential.
Some have argued that John the Baptist was an Essene.
It is true that John was an ascetic and lived in the desert.
He does not fit the mode, however, because he did not share property, meals, labor, or prayer in common with others.
His diet of locusts might have been prohibited by the Essenes for it would have involved eating something which had had life.
True, he did baptize people, but that hardly compares with the constant washings of the Essenes.
The bottom line is that John the Baptist lived a life of isolation; the Essenes lived their lives strictly in community.
Other scholars have presumed that Jesus’ brother, James, was an Essene.
Legend has it that James was a Nazarite and for some reason those scholars think that makes him an Essene.
Critical thinking questions this assumption, though many think James might have been a Pharisee.
James is known to have participated fully in temple sacrifices while in Jerusalem. Nor is there any indication that he avoided all meats.
Recently, there has been some discussion of whether the Essenes were, in fact, the community at Qumran.
Qumran is located on a plateau about a mile inland from the shores of the Dead Sea. It was a flourishing community from 134 (give or take a dozen years) to 70 CE. Then it was destroyed by the Romans.
It became quite renowned when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in caves near there in 1947.
The area has been the subject of much excavation since then, partly in an effort to determine authorship of the scrolls.
The first person to excavate at Qumran was a French Dominican, Pere Roland de Vaux. He began his work in 1951.
He discovered several structures in an area 260 x 329 feet that appeared to be communal in nature.
He presumed that it was a retreat for a local Essene community whose members probably lived in the nearby caves or tents. That became known as the Qumran-Essene Hypothesis.
Cisterns, baths, and cemeteries have been found at Qumran. Most of the excavated graves were of males; but a few were of females, leading scholars to question the assumption that the Essenes were celibate (as the ancient author Pliny [25-79 CE] claimed).
Only a few plots have been examined because exhuming is generally forbidden under Jewish law. It is estimated that over a thousand bodies are buried in this cemetery.
There was also a large dining room with a nearby pantry filled with bowls – consistent with a communal dining area. A sundial was found, and since the Essenes followed a solar calendar, this was thought to be more evidence of their presence.
In the remains of an upper story there was evidence of inkwells and writing apparatus.
On that basis, scholars have, for years, assumed the Essene community wrote the documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls while at Qumran and hid them in the caves so they would be kept safe.
More recently, however, scholars have questioned this assumption.
Because of the diversity in both subject matter and handwriting, some scholars now think the documents might have been collected from all over Judea and hidden in the caves as the Jews were fleeing the Romans.
Some of the theological doctrines portrayed in the scrolls are at odds with information about the Essenes known from Josephus, Pliny, and Philo.
Instead of being a sectarian community, some scholars have suggested Qumran might have been a Roman fortress or a winter villa for a wealthy family.
Because pottery kilns were excavated, some think it might even have been a pottery factory.
The discovery of coins, metal wares, and glass point to an active trade industry.
The identification problem is compounded by the fact that some of the records of the original excavation have never been made public.
Work on the scrolls continues as well. For almost four decades, access to the scrolls was limited to a select few. This changed in 1991 when several documents were published.
It is entirely possible, of course, that Qumran wasn’t even associated with the scrolls. They might have just shared a common area. On that basis, archeologists have insisted that Qumran be studied independently, without trying to force it to harmonize with the information found among the scrolls.
The site was abandoned around the time the Romans were invading the area.
Obviously, these are all issues that scholars are still working on and no one seems to have a definitive answer – so far.

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