Jesus under the Microscope (Part 2)
Our exploration of the Essene / Christian connection will begin by looking at some of the similarities between these two religious schools of thought. First there is the staunch and extremist belief of Jewish supremacism—the idea that the Jewish people are superior to Gentiles. As we have already seen, Christ endorsed this idea, and so did the Essenes, the Zealots, the Sicarii, and all the other Jewish extremists of that region in the first century. Likewise, all of these groups, including Christ’s faction, rejected the idea of Gentile integration into their religion or society.
That position did not change within Christianity until later on, under Paul, as we will hereafter document. Following this Pauline transition to a more Gentile-based Christianity, insertions were made into the storyline of Christ to make it look like he embraced Gentile acceptance, but that was surely not his original stance, nor was it the stance of Judaism in general. Recall how Jesus referred to the Canaanite woman as a dog, and how he said that he came only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Jesus was perhaps most influenced in this direction by the more pronounced bigotry of the Essenes, which is flagrantly expressed in the proceeding Dead Sea Scrolls quote that addresses Gentiles thusly (Geza Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English): “Be cursed because of all your guilty wickedness! May he [Yahweh] deliver you up for torture at the hands of the vengeful Avengers [angels]! May he visit you with destruction by the hand of all the Wreakers of Vengeance! Be cursed without mercy according to the darkness of your deeds! Be damned in the shadowy place of everlasting fire!”
Throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Essenes referred to themselves as the true “elect of God.” And Jesus referred to his followers as “the elect” in Matthew 24:22. Paul additionally designated Christians as “the elect” in Titus 1:1. When Jesus called himself “the way,” he was using an Essene term. The “Community Rule” scroll reveals that the Essenes referred to themselves as the “People of the Way.” One passage from this scroll states: “He [the master] shall impart true knowledge and the righteous judgment to those who have chosen The Way.”
Likewise, the whole Christian movement, in the beginning, was known as “The Way,” as we see from Acts 9:1, 2: “Then Saul [who later became known as Paul, after his alleged conversion], still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”
Also, Paul, long after his “conversion,” made this comment when on trial (Acts 24:14): “…I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they [the Jews] call a sect…”
“Born again” was a phrase the Essenes frequently used to describe their conversion status, and we know that Christians certainly used (and still use) this same phrase in the same context—a phrase that Christ himself introduced to them. Adopting children was one of many means that the Essenes employed in order to expand “the kingdom of God.” With this thought in mind, maybe now this statement made by Christ can begin to make more sense (Luke 18:16): “...Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Jesus was known to teach in parables, and so were the Essenes. In fact, Philo of Alexandria, speaking of the Essenes, wrote: “...for a great many precepts are delivered [by them] in enigmatical modes of expression, and allegorically, as the old fashion was, and thus the people are taught piety, and holiness, and justice, and economy,...and...love of God...and love of mankind.”
Josephus further said that the Essenes were fully regulated by “overseers” (episkopos, or bishops). And we know that this same title of office was later adopted by the Christian religion. Such parallels are pervasive and undeniable, are they not? The Essenes saw themselves as the true covenant keepers with Yahweh, who had his laws written on their hearts rather than on tables of stone, as Jeremiah wrote and as Paul had reiterated in his epistles. Essene believers saw this covenant-keeping of theirs as a “new covenant” between themselves and Yahweh, or a “new testament.” They also believed in forsaking all worldly possessions and giving themselves entirely over to their religion and their fellow believers. And there are striking parallels with Christianity here too, which require no elaboration. In James 1:22 the apostle James counseled his audience to be “doers of the word.”
Likewise, the Essenes referred to themselves as “doers” of Yahweh’s will. Furthermore, it is significant to draw attention to the fact that the old Aramaic word for “doers” is osin, which is phonetically similar to Essene. Is this where the Essene sect got its name? A solemn, daily ritual meal was celebrated by the Essenes as a community, which was accompanied by prayer and a spirit of reverence. These meals were preceded by ceremonial cleansing baths in baptismal fontlike cisterns, with steps leading down into the water. Commenting on these Essene ritualistic practices, Josephus wrote: “They would assemble in one place and, after girding their loins with linen clothes, bathe their bodies in cold water. After this purification, they assemble in a private apartment which none of the uninitiated is permitted to enter; pure now themselves, they repair to the refectory, as to some sacred shrine. When they have taken their seats in silence, the baker serves out the loaves to them in order, and the cook sets before each one [a] plate with a single course. Before meat [the act of eating] the priest says a grace, and none may partake until after the prayer. When breakfast is ended, he pronounces a further grace; thus at the beginning and at the close they do homage to God as the bountiful giver of life.”
In the Qumran document known as the “Messianic Rule” we read this prophetic description of a sacred meal that was to be ordained by the coming Essene messiah: “This shall be the assembly of the men of renown called to the meeting of the Council of the Community when the priest messiah shall summon them: He shall come at the head of the whole congregation of Israel with all his brethren…and they shall sit before him….And when they shall gather for the common table, to eat and to drink new wine, when the common table shall be set for eating and the new wine poured for drinking, let no man extend his hand over the first-fruits of bread and wine before the Priest, for it is he who shall bless the first-fruits of bread and wine….Therefore, the messiah of Israel shall extend his hand over the bread, and all the congregation of the community shall utter a blessing….It is according to this statute that they shall proceed at every meal at which at least ten men are gathered together.” ¨
So, the “communion meal” of the Essene messiah was to consist of bread and wine, and there were to be gathered at least ten at a time for such ceremonies. The Essenes also observed a ritual cleansing involving emersion in water. Is it therefore not obvious where Christianity got these ideas from? And is it not also obvious that Christ’s messianic mission must have initially gotten its sendoff by the Essene community, and not by “God”? Indeed, many of the first century messianic figures were either Essene-trained or at least Essene-influenced. And so Christ was just one in a long line of such individuals that rose up in Israel during that time. Followers of the Qumran sect were forbidden, once they became a part of the community, from taking oaths. And as we already saw, Christ warned against the taking of oaths in Matthew chapter 5: “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls make mention of one called “The Teacher,” who introduced celibacy in order for the men of the Qumran sect to keep themselves pure, be they married or not. More than that, marriage itself was frowned upon. Echoes of this, too, repeated later in Christianity. Paul said that it was better to remain single for the cause of spreading the gospel, and Jesus encouraged castration, or becoming a eunuch, for the sake of the “kingdom of God.” Likewise, in chapter 14 of the book of Revelation, John talked about those “who did not defile themselves with women, for they are virgins” (verse 4). Is it not most apparent, once again, where so many Christian teachings and practices came from? In the Dead Sea Scrolls “The Teacher” wound up taking on a messianic view of himself, wanting to turn the desert community he established into a “New Jerusalem,” to prepare the way for the god of Israel to descend into their midst. And it goes without saying that Christianity also had its parallel to this, particularly in the book of Revelation. While never given a name, this Teacher mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls is often referred to as the “Teacher of Righteousness.” It is stated that he was adored by his flock to the point of being worshipped, and he gave them a new, unique identity far above and beyond that which they had from the comparatively drab Jerusalem temple-based religion that they left behind. Discipline, as well as blind and unwavering obedience to the words of this Teacher and his appointed elders, were requirements for his devotees. Though most scholars now believe that this Teacher preceded the time of Christ by a century or two, it is quite apparent that Christ, and perhaps many other messianic claimants of the period, followed the template of this Teacher.
Although the Essene Teacher demanded absolute obedience, he was not a tyrant—at least not openly. He gained trust and loyalty through his words of wisdom, which were thought to have come directly from Yahweh. He was, at times, argumentative, ready to assail any opponents who challenged him or his teachings. And so it was with Christ. In an epistle addressed to his sect, the Teacher admonished the faithful to remain steadfast in the new religion and to reject the corrupted Judaism back in Jerusalem, led by the “Evil Priest” (apparently the temple high priest). Such a stance, as you might guess, led the followers of the Teacher to separate themselves from the bulk of the rest of the Jewish population. Thus we find the Teacher telling his flock in this same epistle: “For you know that we have separated ourselves from the majority of the people.”
This idea of separation was at the heart of the Teacher’s sect. And did Christianity not follow this very pattern? Also in this selfsame epistle, the Teacher proceeded to elaborate on the reason for separation from the Jerusalem priesthood and mainstream Judaism—their refusal to live up to the stringent standards of the Law of Moses. The Teacher thundered thusly at the compromised Jewish leaders of the day, who were sent a copy of this epistle: “You are builders of a rickety wall!”
This sounds like Christ, who said that rejecting his teachings was like building a house on the sand. Christ also warned the Pharisees that their “house of cards” was soon going to collapse (that the temple would be cast to the ground), because of their evil ways of not following the scriptures and rejecting him as the messiah. With the thought of “The Teacher” in the Dead Sea Scrolls still fresh in our minds, it is of profound importance to take a second look at a passage cited before, where Christ referred to himself by this very title—“The Teacher” (Matthew 26:17- 19): “Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ And he said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.”
As mentioned, not all Essenes lived in seclusion. Many of them resided out in various communities. But regardless where any of them lived, whenever they traveled they found a welcome mat laid out for them in any fellow Essene home that they reached out to for help, and thus there was no need for them to carry provisions as they went along. Speaking in this regard, Josephus wrote in War of the Jews: “They [the Essenes] have no certain city, but many of them dwell in every city; and if any of their sect come from other places, what they have lies open for them, just as if it were their own; and they go into such as they never knew before, as if they had been ever so long acquainted with them. For which reason they carry nothing with them when they travel into remote parts….Accordingly, there is, in every city where they live, one appointed particularly to take care of strangers, and provide garments and other necessities for them.”
This calls to mind what Christ told his “emissaries”—the disciples—when he sent them out on their first missionary journey(Luke 10:3-7): “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ and if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages….” -
And what was the “son of peace” a reference to here? Was this not an allusion to an Essene, in general, who would open his house to the disciples in their travels? What else could this have been referring to, since Christ was telling his disciples that there were numerous homes scattered about that they could stay at, to get assistance? These were not Christian homes—not at this early stage. Christ was undoubtedly directing his disciples to seek refuge and find assistance on the friendly turf of hospitable Essenes, who at that time were still the disciples’ spiritual kinsmen. Parallels between the Essenes and Christianity seem to be endless. The Dead Sea Scrolls record what can only be described as a future “Battle of Armageddon.” This battle will take place, says the scrolls, between two rival groups—the sons of light and the sons of darkness. All of humanity will fall, we are told, into one of these two groups. The scrolls also reveal that this battle will involve the direct intervention of Yahweh and his angels. Says “The War Rule” scroll: “…when the great hand of God is raised in an everlasting blow against Satan and all the hosts of his kingdom…the Kittim [enemies] shall be crushed without remnant….For thou [God] wilt fight with them from heaven….For the multitude of the Holy Ones is with thee…and the host of the angels.”
This is the exact same imagery found in the book of Revelation, in regards to—you guessed it—the “Battle of Armageddon.”
To even further advance the premise of the Essene origin of the Christ mythos, we will now narrow in on several early life elements of Christ’s storyline that seem to have been borrowed from Essene sources. As previously mentioned, the gospels relate a story of Herod sending a decree out to kill all infants under the age of two, in order to eliminate competition for his throne, seeing that he heard of the birth of Christ—the “King of the Jews.” And though there is no historical evidence of this ever having taken place, it seems pretty safe to say that the Essenes were the origin of this story. From the Essene Psalm Scroll #4 we read this familiar-sounding prophecy: “When he is conceived all wounds shall quicken, and the time of the delivery shall be in grievous pains; they shall be appalled who are with child. And when he is brought forth every pang shall come upon the child-bearing crucible….And they…shall be prey to terrible anguish; the wombs…shall be prey to all the works of horror…for the children have come to the throes of death.”
The next significant event in Christ’s life that the gospels record is the occasion, at age twelve, when he wandered away from his parents to debate theology with the Jewish leaders in the temple, allegedly being in possession of knowledge and wisdom way beyond his years. Luke 2:46-48 says of this incident: “They [Christ’s parents] found him…sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? You father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’”
A striking parallel to this is found in another Dead Sea Scrolls prophecy, dating to about a century before the time of Christ, which speaks thusly about the promised Essene messiah: “After two years he will know this from that….When he reaches puberty, [he will]…not be like the average man, who knows nothing until he has mastered the usual two or three books. He will acquire wisdom and shrewdness and common sense. Even professional seers will foregather to come to him on their knees. For all their longevity and age, he will surpass both his father and his forebears. He will be possessed of counsel and shrewdness and will know what men keep secret. Moreover, his wisdom will go forth to all the peoples. He will know the secrets of all the living, and all the schemes against him will be brought to an end. The defection of all the living will be great, but his plans will prevail, insomuch as he is the chosen of God. His birth and the very breath which he draws have been ordained by One whose plans endure forever.”
Josephus said something similar about himself, speaking of a time when he was roughly the same age: “About age fourteen I won universal acclaim for my love of letters, so much so that the chief priests and the city leaders regularly came to me for exact information on some particulars in our laws.”
It so happened that the Essenes actually required all young children under their instruction to become intimately familiarized with the Torah and various unique Essene teachings. The Qumran sect’s “Messianic Rule” scroll states: “This is the rule for all the congregation of Israel….they shall summon…the little children…and they shall read into their ears the precepts of the Covenant and shall expound on them all their statutes…”
After such training, by the age of puberty, it was customary for the Essenes to send these trained youngsters out to the temple to debate theology with the “clergy” there. From that point, these young trainees would disappear from society, for the most part, until they were about age thirty, at which time they were esteemed as “ascended masters,” if you will. As the “Messianic Rule” scroll states: “At the age of thirty he [the Essene trainee] may…take his place among the chiefs of the thousands of Israel….He shall strengthen his loins that he may perform his tasks among his brethren in accordance with his understanding and the perfection of his way.”
Christ’s life story paralleled this pattern in every detail. So there is no more mystery about all those “missing years” of his life in the gospels, where he disappeared off the map at age twelve, after his brief temple visit, and did not resurface again until he began his three-year ministry at about age 30. He was obviously receiving Essene training all during that time. You can therefore now see how vitally important it is to study the historical context of major religious figures like Jesus, in order to make sense of who such individuals really were. One thing that Christ took away from his Essene training that he never strayed away from was his acute sense of egotism about his teachings—that they were the right ones, and that all others were in error. A saying from “The Hymns” scroll that reveals this sense of Essene pride, which is frequently repeated therein, is this: “I thank thee, O Lord, for thou hast enlightened me through thy truth; in thy marvelous mysteries…thou hast granted me knowledge.”
Now compare this with the next quote from Christ (Matthew 11:25): “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
Jesus expressed these same prideful Essene sentiments in Matthew 13:11: “Because it is given to you [the disciples] to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the Pharisees] it is not given.”
Note the use of the word “mysteries” here, just as in “The Hymns” scroll cited above. While there can be no question that Jesus received training from the Essenes, it is also quite clear, as already indicated, that he had developed some radical ideas of his own, which later led to him breaking away from this group because of his inability to adhere to some of their religious leanings (or perhaps they disfellowshipped him over his aberrant teachings). Case in point: The Qumran “Zadokite Document” contains this strict Sabbath observance rule: “If a beast should…drop its young into a cistern or [pit], one is not to lift it out on the Sabbath.”
Jesus was repulsed by this policy, and took a jab at it in Luke 14:5, when he asked: “Which of you, having…an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” Jesus was not speaking against Pharisaical teaching here, as some believe, because the Pharisees were actually in agreement with Christ in this respect. They taught that preserving life was the most central rule, which superseded even the Sabbath. Jesus was unquestionably speaking out against the abovecited Essene rule, which he found unmerciful and legalistic. But in expressing this opposition, was he intending to found a new religion in opposition to the Essenes, from which he broke away? We know from the Dead Sea Scrolls that the phenomenon of new sects breaking off from the Essenes was not an unusual occurrence. One such sect was formed over the strict position the Essenes had developed regarding celibacy. So perhaps Christ had joined a reformist Essene sect that favored mercy over legalism. Or perhaps he was indeed starting a whole new sect of his own, borrowing a good deal from his Essene background, while rejecting certain teachings thereof that did not settle well with him. Regardless what his intentions were, though, Christ’s philosophy and teachings wound up becoming a new and separate faction anyway. Another area where Christ had parted ways with the Essenes was their favoring of a secluded, monastic lifestyle. This was surely why he eked out these prayerful words, as recorded in John 17:15: “I pray, not that thou wouldst keep them [the disciples] from the world, but from the evil thereof”
It is of great significance to revisit an Old Testament misquote from Jesus that we encountered before, found in Matthew 5:43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies.’” Here Christ was quoting from Leviticus 19:18 which, although it does mention “love your neighbor,” does not contain the statement “hate your enemies.” In fact, that statement is not found anywhere in the Old Testament. Where it is found, however, is in the Essene “Community Rule” scroll, which says: “… love all that [God] has chosen, and hate all that he has rejected.”
So what Christ was quoting from and opposing in Matthew 5:43 was an Essene teaching. Jesus, unlike the Essenes, believed in loving, not only all that Yahweh had chosen (Jews who followed Yahweh), but also the ones Yahweh had rejected (Jews who did not follow Yahweh). Remember that Christ had no regard for Gentiles, just like the Essenes. But, unlike the Essenes, Christ did have a regard for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” It was them only that Jesus said he came to minister to. He saw himself as one whose mission it was to fill in a huge gap created by the Essenes and their exclusivist stance that shut out Israel’s “lost sheep.” Another Essene scroll expressed their exclusivist attitude this way: “Love all the sons of light…and hate all the sons of darkness.”
Speaking of the Essene use of the term “sons of light” to denote themselves, look what Jesus said in Luke 16:8: “…the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”
Was this not a reference to the Essenes? There are other references in the gospels that allude to the Essenes, almost mentioning them by name. For example, many scholars now believe, and for good reason, that one of the names assigned to the Essenes in the first century was “Herodians,” which is found multiple times in the New Testament (although this was probably a derogatory label that the Essenes never used to designate their own selves). It is believed this title refers to them because, when Herod the Great was still a schoolboy, long before he took the throne, an Essene named Manaemos predicted that he would one day become king. As a result of this forecast, Josephus tells us that “…from that moment on, [Herod] continued to hold all Essenes in honor.”
This means that the Essenes had become Herod’s pet sect, upon whom he showed great favoritism. For instance, he excused them from taking an oath of loyalty, according to Josephus. And this favoritism was mutual, with the Essenes having held Herod in very high esteem. Thus it seems quite logical that the Essenes became known as “Herodians.” In the New Testament, we discover that the Herodians were a religious sect in league with the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus. Here are some of the key gospel references to this: -
- “Later they [the chief priests] sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch [trap] him in his words.” - Mark 12:13.
- “The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast [leaven] of the Pharisees and that of Herod [the Herodians].’” - Mark 8:14, 15.
- “They [the Pharisees] sent their disciples to him [Jesus] along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said [mockingly], ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.’” - Matthew 22:16.
This last passage was the occasion where Jesus held up a coin and told the Herodians to look at it, asking them whose image was on it. Intriguingly, we discover from an early church father, Hippolytus, in his book Refutation of All Heresies, that “…some [Essenes] observe a still more rigid practice in not handling or looking at a coin which has an image.”
Thus when Jesus told the Herodians (Essenes) to look at the “pagan” coin, he was specifically addressing this same Essene belief, and thus egging them on. Still another name, or title, that is believed to have been assigned to the Essenes in the New Testament is “the scribes.” This seems quite appropriate, since the Essenes, who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, dedicated much of their time to copying “sacred” texts and preserving them for posterity. Significantly, the gospels actually confirm that the Herodians and scribes were one and the same.
In Mark 3:1-6 we find that the Pharisees and Herodians were plotting together on how to kill Christ. But then, in Luke 6:6-11—a parallel account to Mark 3:1-6—we see that it was the Pharisees and scribes that were doing this selfsame plotting. So, yes, the scribes and Herodians were the same group of people. Thus the Essenes were called both “Herodians” and “scribes” in the New Testament. Equipped with this understanding, we can now see just how deep-rooted the tensions had become between Christ and the Essenes, for the entire chapter of Matthew 23 is dedicated to Jesus rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for their brazen hypocrisy and fanaticism. Constantly throughout that chapter he barked at them, “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Of course, Christ’s rejection of their hypocrisy did not mean that he was a nice guy himself. It only meant that he did not like their form of hypocrisy. But as we have already seen, and will be seeing more of later on, Christ had his own brand of hypocrisy that was no less detestable.
The apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees make frequent reference to a group called the Hasideans, which undoubtedly was another term used for the Essenes, as most scholars now concede. We begin by looking at I Maccabees 2:27, 28, where we encounter Matthias leading a revolt against the Greeks who had control over Israel: “Then Matthias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: ‘Let everyone who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!’ And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.”
Then, in verses 42-48, we discover that the Hasideans came to his aid: “Then there united with them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, every one who offered himself willingly for the law [Torah]….They organized an army, and struck down sinners in their wrath; the survivors fled to the Gentiles for their safety. And Matthias and his friends went about and tore down the altars; they forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys that they found within the borders of Israel. They hunted down the arrogant men, and the work prospered in their hands. They rescued the law out of the hands of the Gentiles and kings, and they never let the sinner grab the upper hand.”
This was true Essenism to the hilt—upholding “the law” with stringency and resorting to violent uprisings to do so, not only against the “pagans,” but also fellow Jews.
Do be mindful of the fact that this is the type of background that Jesus and his religion of Christianity arose out of. Jesus seems to have borrowed, not only from Essene teachings, but from their expressions as well. One of the scrolls from the Dead Sea reads: “He will exalt the faint-hearted….By the poor in spirit, nations will come to an end.”
Faint-hearted? Poor in spirit? This sounds like the Sermon on the Mount. Keep in mind that the Scrolls were mostly written about 200 years before Christ. So it was not a matter of the Essene scribes copying from Jesus. While we are on the topic of the Sermon on the Mount, in a document from Qumran Cave #4 we read these gospel-like beatitudes: “Blessed is he who speaks truth with a pure heart…Blessed are those who cling to his [God’s] statutes…Blessed are those who rejoice because of her [the truth]…Blessed is he who seeks her with pure hands…Blessed is the man who has attained wisdom…”
In a similar vein of thought, the Dead Sea Psalm scrolls talk about blessings on the meek, the wounded in spirit, and those who mourn. On a papyrus scrap from Cave 4 at Qumran is this astonishing statement: “Then he will heal the sick, resurrect the dead, and to the poor announce glad tidings.” Compare this with Matthew 11:4, 5: “Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John [the Baptist] what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’”
New Testament authors appear to have borrowed some titles for Christ from the Essenes, which they had applied to their anticipated messiah. The Qumran text known as the “Son of God Fragment” states: “The ‘Son of God’ he will be proclaimed, and the ‘Son of the Most High’ they will call him.” The fact that Christ had twelve disciples was apparently inspired by his Essene background. For look what the Dead Sea Temple Scroll states: “All those selected, which he selects, shall be men of truth, venerating God, enemies of bribery, skilled men in war, and they shall always be with him day and night….He will have twelve princes of his people with him….He shall not divert his heart from them….”
Another Qumran scroll talks of how one of the followers of the “Teacher of Righteousness” had betrayed him, and how this betrayal was “prophesied” in the Psalms. And guess which Psalm is quoted from—the very same one that the New Testament cites in reference to Christ’s betrayal by Judas—Psalm 41:9, which says: “Even my bosom friend, in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.”
Although the Dead Sea Scrolls do not specifically mention that the Essene messiah was to be crucified, there is nevertheless a mention of someone who was to be crucified, certain details of which precisely parallel Christ’s death by this manner. The “Temple Scroll” contains this intriguing passage: “But his body shall not stay overnight on the tree. Indeed you shall bury him on the same day. For he who is hanged on the tree is accursed of God and men.” This saying, “he who is hanged on the tree is accursed of God,”
originated with Deuteronomy 21:23. And this same passage, along with its curse, was applied to Christ by the apostle Paul in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole [or tree].’”
While not by crucifixion, necessarily, there are a number of passages in the Dead Sea Scrolls that do seem to suggest, prophetically, that the Essene messiah was to be killed. One such passage states: “They shall put to death the Prince of the Congregation.”
There is even a fragmentary word that follows, which some believe can be translated as “piercings,” but the section of the scroll that contains it is in such bad condition that this cannot be determined with certainty. Frequent references are made in the Scrolls to the death of the founder of the Qumran sect, the “Teacher of Righteousness.” Though he, specifically, was not the prophesied messiah, he, like Christ, was predicted to return in the future, at the “end of days,” to vanquish his enemies and usher in a new age. “The War Scroll” proclaims, in poetic verse: “Rise up, O Hero! Lead off thy captives, O Glorious One! Gather up thy spoils, O Author of mighty deeds! Lay thy hand on the neck of thine enemies and thy feet on the pile of the slain. Smite the nations, thine adversaries, and devour the flesh of the sinner with thy sword.”
Now compare this with the description of the alleged future triumphant Christ who brings judgment, as recorded in Revelation 19:11-15: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns….He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood….Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.”
When we examine the biography of John the Baptist in the gospels, it becomes impossible to deny that he was an Essene. Every detail we are provided with about him points exclusively in that direction. He, like the Essenes:
- lived in the desert wilderness
- emphasized purification by water baptism
- preached the necessity of inward repentance
- focused on the prophecy of Isaiah: “A voice is crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’”
- anticipated the soon-coming messiah
- looked forward to the coming “kingdom of God”
- focused on eating foods in a high state of ritual purity, particularly locusts
- practiced celibacy
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