Fellow listmembers,
Paradoxes--apparent contradictions--can be unnerving, yet
potentially fruitful, and the deeper the paradox sometimes the
more interesting the ultimate insight or resolution. Therefore
paradoxes should be considered valuable rather than prematurely
harmonized with the first plausible answer that offers relief to the
lack of closure. Some paradoxes can never be resolved, and others
can with new information--but the most interesting ones are those
resolvable on existing information through simple 'subtraction'--
identifying some assumption in the mix that just isn't true...
take that away... and the rest of the picture looks very
different, and maybe makes better sense.
With this preamble I solicit comment (particularly from some of
the less-talkative) to the following conjecture (and that is all it is),
which I have been thinking about in attempting to make better
sense of this vexing issue of the Essenes.
1. Practically all known about the late-Hasmonean era is from
Josephus, and Josephus apparently has practically only one source
here: Nicolaus of Damascus. In Josephus's source's scheme, its
Sadducees versus Pharisees. There are no Essenes in Josephus's
source's scheme of the two major rival groups from JHyrcI through
AriII. (The story of Judah the Essene prophet seems to be something
from some other source and doesn't play a role in the basic
Sadducee vs. Pharisee structure. In any case that is a story of an
individual who happens to be Essene.)
2. Yet the Essenes are some very major phenomenon. Philo knows only
of Essenes in Judea--no Pharisees or Sadducees, but thousands of devout
Essenes. The Essenes are reputed to be ancient, going back to Moses,
and in large numbers. So where in Josephus's history source are all
the missing Essenes?
3. Josephus's 1st CE description of Essenes has an allusion to the Essenes
being shut out of certain kind of temple participation (the Greek nuance is
disputed, but some kind of separation in the past is alluded to). That is,
by
the time of Josephus's writing, the Essenes are 'separate' from other
groups,
but may not always have been--they were shut out at some point in the past,
is the apparent implication or reading.
4. Israel Knoll's very interesting book, _The Messiah Before Jesus_ brings
out rabbinic traditions concerning Menahem, who is identified in Josephus
as an important Essene. Knoll argues well for identifying the Menahems as
the same figure. Provided this identication is correct there is something
important: the rabbinic traditions have traditions of the Essene expulsion/
walkout in the time of Menahem. This dates the 'separation' to the time
of Herod the Great--the time of Menahem the Essene, contemporary with
Hillel according to tradition.
5. Therefore the possibility is raised that before Menahem/Herod, the
Essenes were not 'separated'. Certainly nothing in the glimpses of Essenes
pre-Herod portray them as 'separated'. Judah the Essene is in the Temple,
maybe involved in some sort of coup or political assassination intrigue,
and Menahem the Essene blessed Antipater's child Herod. No hint of
Essenes excluded from the temple, from worship, living in the desert,
any of this, pre-Menahem.
6. Yet it is hardly likely that the Essenes would have come into existence
ex nihilo, from scratch, at the time of Herod. There are (a) the multiple
traditions that they existed forever, in large numbers; (b) the rabbinic
traditions have Menahem as a leading sage with many followers before
he is exiled with his followers; (c) Josephus certainly considers the
Essenes
no less ancient than any of the other parties, etc.
7. But where ARE the Essenes pre-Herod, in Josephus's historical
sources for the period?
8. Turning to the Scrolls, many of the yachad texts are composed and reflect
the late Hasmonean era. Who are texts such as CD, the pesharim, and others
polemically against? Well, the Liar, the Spouter, the Seekers of Smooth
Things,
etc. etc. which sound a lot like Josephus's portrayal of Pharisees in his
source's historical Sadducee v. Pharisee scheme. 4QpNah has the hated
wicked party: (a) enemies of Jannaeus (aligns with Pharisees); (b)
very popular with all the people (this is the picture in the world of the
text;
and (c) in power. All of this seems to correspond well with the Pharisees in
Josephus's historical source.
9. Is it possible that Josephus's 'Pharisees' of the late-Hasmonean era
include both Pharisees-Essenes, because they were not yet split? Such
that this is the actual answer to where were all the missing Essenes--
they were written about variously as 'Pharisees' and 'the nation', etc.
by Josephus's source.
10. The rabbis seem to consider Menaham the Essene to have been a
sage like Hillel. No Sadducee was a sage in the rabbinical writings (is that
right H. B.?) But Menahem 'the Essene' was a sage. But the rabbis
don't call him Essene. They just call him a sage. Therefore there could
be Essenes right under our noses in the sources, just not called
Essenes. Maybe Josephus's single-source portrayal of the late
Hasmonean-era 'Pharisees' is actually Pharisee-Essenism, and it is
anachronistic to project the three-sect distinction
back to that period, prior to the split between Hillel and Menahem.
11. By this construction, the yachad texts of the scroll would become
opposed to Essenes/Pharisees, rather than written by Essenes.
In pNah the implied picture is of the whole land, all the people, following
after the SeekersofST, who are well-liked, organized, in power, popular,
and at peace (the text foresees their downfall, but that is the text's
wishful thinking for the future). These rulers--the SST
(Pharisees/Essenes?)--
are religious, they teach, etc., and they rule too. The authoring group of
the Qumran yachad texts would be some group other than Pharisees/Essenes,
and opposed to them.
Reactions?
I repeat this is entirely conjecture for discussion, not an actually
advocated proposal.
Greg Doudna
For private reply, e-mail to "Greg Doudna" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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