The word “Essene” means “healer” in Aramaic which was the language spoken by Jesus, and “Therapeutae” is the Greek equivalent. Medicine occupied a considerable part of their attention which seems to have been connected with inquiries into the hidden powers of nature. The sect arose in the country lying on the west side of the Dead Sea and much has been learned about their moral and religious philosophy from the Scroll of the Community at Qumran at its north-western edge. From this semi-monastic settlement at Qumran they spread over most parts of Palestine. Josephus says that there were many of them dwelling in every town and he mentions four different orders of them, all of which may be resolvable into two classes – practical and contemplative Essenes. The great theologion pope Benedict XVI has linked Jesus with the Essenes , saying that He “celebrated Easter with his disciples probably according to the Qumran calendar, and thus at least the day before” mainstream observances at the time.
Before being fully united to the Essene society the initiate was, according to Josephus, “to first bind himself by solemn exhortations and professions to love and worship God, to do justice towards men, to wrong no creature willingly, nor to do it, though commanded; to declare himself an enemy of all wicked men, to join with all the lovers of right and equity, to keep faith with all men.” He was likewise to declare if that ever he became advanced above his companions he would never abuse that power to the injury of his subjects or distinguish himself from his inferiors by any ornament of dress or apparel but that he would love and embrace the truth and bring false speakers to justice.
Josephus acknowledges that the Essenes sent gifts to the Temple and thus expressed their reverence for the original establishment, discharging in this manner the common duty of all Jews as it was their principle to fulfil every obligation which bound them. Yet they did not visit the Temple themselves for they maintained that only among the really sanctified members of their own sect was the truly spiritual temple where sacrifices could be offered with the proper consecration.
The Perennial Praise was carried out very strictly as shown in the Rule which follows:
“Let the many keep awake in community a third of all the nights of the year in order to read aloud from the Book and to expound judgement and to sing blessings altogether.”
One of the hymns which they sang has been recovered from their Scroll of Thanksgiving Psalms and is as follows:
“I thank thee, O Lord,
That thou has tied my Soul in the bundle of Life
And fenced me about from all the snares of the pit.
Ruthless men have sought my life
Because I hold fast to thy covenant.
But they are an empty crowd, a tribe of Baliol,
Failing to see that in me is thy foothold,
That Thou with Thy mercy will deliver my Soul
Where my footsteps are of Thine ordering.”
And so during the night, as two-thirds of the number of the Community of Righteousness slept in their tents and huts, the other one-third kept up their continual chant of readings, hymns and psalms. Therefore, in the Dead Sea Scrolls we have today selections from every Book of the Old Testament except Esther, as well as hymns and psalms, constituting the actual manuscripts of the Laus Perennis according to the Old Dispensation. The Bangor Antiphonary is a remnant of the New.
The Qumran Community looked forward to the coming of a priestly Messiah or Christ who would be for them the supreme interpreter of the law and who would usher in a new Kingdom of God which was essentially to be a holy institution devoted to God’s service and the interpretation of His divine will. As well as this priestly Messiah there was to be a second Messiah who was to be a Prince of the line of David. This Davidic Messiah would be a warrior of God and the holy instrument by which God would restore his kingdom and protect that Community of the Poor who sought to know him. Both would be present at the Messianic feast at the end of Days when there would be an Apocalyptic war between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness.
The Qumran Community lived for the day when the two Messiahs would lead them back to a new and purified Jerusalem and a detailed vision of the holy city and its Temple is contained in the fragmentary work which has been entitled, “A Description of the Heavenly Jerusalem.” This was again doubtless inspired by the closing chapters of the Book of Ezekiel and so for the Community of Righteousness the strict discipline of their life was for their rehearsal for those days when mankind would join the angels in the singing of the celestial choir.
To be continued