An early Jewish ascetic sect around 350 A.D. known as the Essenes, took many of their ideas from early gnosticism. The Essenes provoked conflicts with the Biblical Pharisees and the Sadducees. They even argued that the established Hebrew lunar year was inaccurate. They finally were forced out of Jerusalem, and they established a monastery at Qumran. The Essenes were divided into two parts-the married, as well as the unmarried. All of the Essenes property were communal. Alot of their problems arose because of their communal lifestyle.

The Essenes educated their youth with many popular teachings of the day. They also taught the philosophy of the greek, Pythagoras. The greek translation for the word essene is essaios, which means secret or mystic.

The Essenes believed that Jesus came from their educational system. It is disputed whether Jesus' parents, Joseph and Mary belonged to this group. Many researchers believe that the Essenes were among the better educated class of the Jewish people of that time.

Not much was known of the group until 1947, the year of the discovery of the Red Sea Scrolls. As the Roman armies advanced during the Jewish revolt of 70 A.D., the Essenes fled Qumran after hiding their texts in earth jars in nearby caves.

I don't know if Jesus was an Essene, but the group did exist. The Essene findings were considered heritical by the church. No matter what a person chooses to believe, one should always seek the truth.

Jeffery S. Miller is the author of the controversial title, Higgins: An American Story. Miller is an author, inventor, former talk show host, retired professional wrestler, and a national award winner. His website is http://www.freewebs.com/jefferysmiller

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