Russell, Nice "expanded definition".....
And yet.... nowhere do you mention what I think is the most obvious disciminator between the Essenes and "all the other Jewish sects".... namely: The post-Herodian Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, and the Pharisees believed in a "sleep" until the End of Days, with no instantaneous translation to a paradise and/or a heavenly abode (there is a difference between "paradise" and a heavenly abode). This distinction is implied by Josephus, and I believe quite detectable between Qumran texts and texts known to be linked to Pharisees and the Sadduccees. And you also don't mention "communal" living. This also appears to be an important element of the "Essene" lifestyle, and one which may have been the point of origin for the so-called "Levirate" marriage. Is there a particular reason that you play down the two factors that ARE helpful in identifying Essenes? George NOTE: The O.T. presentation of the Levirate marriage doesn't appear to apply to a brother with whom you do not live.... i.e., a COMMUNAL arrangement. > > If you insist. > > Essenes: (1) Members of a religious order devoted to Artemis > in Asia > Minor. > (2) Members of one of three major sects of Judaism in ca. 100 BCE - > 70 CE > (ignoring Boethusians, Herodians, Samaritans, Baptists, Christians, > Galileans, Zealots, Sicarii, and wilderness followers of Bannus -- > unless, as > various ancient and modern sources assert, these are also Essenes), > who wrote > the Dead Sea Scrolls - unless they didn't; who occupied Qumran - > unless they > didn't; who were ascetic - unless they weren't; and whose name was > derived > from either the Hasidim, an Aramaic term meaning healer, a Hebrew > word > meaning doer, or a Greek word meaning member of a religious order > devoted to > Artemis in Asia Minor. > > Hope that helped! > > Best regards, > Russell Gmirkin > For private reply, e-mail to George Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: "unsubscribe Orion." Archives are on the Orion Web site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il. (PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)
