The essences lived near the Dead sea because no one else would live there because of the weather. The essences made a different type of Judaism in which purity was very important. They wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls which were scrolls with different parts of Tanach on it.
Their beliefs included an excessive amount of dabbling with the names of angels, messianic fervor, gnosticism and eschatological speculation; and their practices were more like Christian monasticism than the generally accepted Jewish way of living.
The practices of the Essenes included vegetarianism, dwelling in isolated groups, communal ownership, monastic asceticism and avoidance of money, commerce and private property; and (among some of them) celibacy. Also, they had some forms of non-traditional observances (such as round phylacteries [tefillin]). Some researchers identify the Essenes as a form of early Christianity, taking also into account the fact that early Christianity was far from uniform and was, for a time, thought of by some as a kind of modified Judaism.
One thought:No. There are MANY differences between the religious ideas of the Essenes (believed to be the Qumran group) and early Christians. The Essenes' were known for their seclusion from society, belief in fate and their emphasis on celibacy and mystical ideas about angels. Jesus' teachings were markedly different, as he was actively involved with people, preaching and teaching, open and giving, and known for his warmth and love .(Matthew 5:14-16; John 11:23, 24; Colossians 2:18; 1 Timothy 4:1-3).Answer2;Yes Jesus was an Essene and was the Teacher of Rightousness.Jesus was born in 100 BCE and died in 67 BCE. The Essenses appear to be "Christians", because they are followers of Jesus !Jesus and the Essenes, were the majority of Jews, not a small 'sect". Jesus as the Teacher of Righteousness and the leader of Judaism was opposing the "Lay organization" Pharisees and their influence on the Jerusalem Temple.The essenes are the anti-Pharisee, anti-oral Torah, anti-lunar calendar Jews.
essenes
Judaism, the Essenes, the state Roman religion. And a lot more; perhaps the Greek religion as well?
Essenes are not mentioned in the New Testament. We know of them from Josephus, Philo and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Apparently, the people of the Scrolls were closely related to the Essenes. Essenes may have begun about the same time as the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were an ascetic group, many of whom lived in the desert region of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. They took vows of celibacy and perpetuated their community by adopting male children. Some did marry. When one joined the Essenes, he gave all his possessions to the community. A three year period of probation was required before full membership was granted. The Essenes devoted themselves to the study of the law. They went beyond the Pharisees in their rigid understanding of it. There is no evidence that either Jesus or John the Baptist ever had any relation to Qumran. Jesus would have strongly opposed their understanding of the law. The vast majority of the people were not members of any of these parties, although they would have been most influenced by the Pharisees.
An Essene was a member of a religious community back in the time of Jesus. The Essenes were a small cult that had branched off from Judaism; its members believed the world would soon end. In preparation, they separated themselves from secular life and went off to focus on spiritual purity. They abstained from sex, and spent their time studying the religious texts. Many historians believe the Essenes wrote at least some of what came to be called the Dead Sea Scrolls.
There is no rerecord of the Romans treating the Essenes differently form the other Jews.
The Essenes.
The Essenes :) got it right on a test
The Essenes were a spiritual group near where The Lord Jesus Christ gave teachings, and some people say He knew them and gave them teachings, and that they were vegetarians. They are not mentioned in the modern-day Bible, but that does NOT mean He didn't know them, nor does that mean they never existed. They are little-known. In the days of the Medieval ones, there were torturers in the Church who invented the rack, the "hang draw and quarter" ideas plus more, they tortured anyone they didn't like while mocking them (making fun of them), laughing at the groans of agony. Unfortunately, those ones were ALSO in charge of copying the Bible, by hand since the printing press was not yet invented. Sorry, I think they changed the Bible, that answers the question: "Why are there contradictions in the Bible, one chapter says one thing, the next chapter says the opposite". Still there IS plenty of wisdom there, left untouched. And of course, do not blame the Good Apostles and others for the mistakes, they wrote it down PERFECTLY. And there are a few scrolls and other books, about the Essenes. I hope more scripts or scrolls will be unearthed in the Middle East, written by Essenes; unearthed like the Dead Sea Scrolls were. Its' quite possible John the Baptist was an Essene. I believe the Essenes also ate locusts dipped in honey. Some people say that The Lord Jesus Christ knew the Essenes well.
The Essenes.
Fragrance
They were a tiny splinter group who broke away from the mainstream Torah traditions and invented some new customs. The Jewish sages disapproved of the Essenes' innovations; and the Essenes eventually died out. They may be the ones referred to when the Talmud speaks of Chitzonim (outsiders).