Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls

Qumran, an ancient village on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, in what is now the West Bank, is famous for its caves. Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found around the Qumran area. Continued archaeological work at Qumran has yielded not only the Scrolls but also a history of the Jewish sect the Essene (Columbia). The Qumran site had been populated previous to the Essene habitation, but abandoned for unknown reasons. The Essene rebuilt it around 130 B.C. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 31 B.C. and rebuilt around 4 B.C. Finally, the Romans destroyed it around 68 A.D. and used it as a military stronghold (Columbia).

Evidence that the Essene lived in Qumran comes from several sources, including the scrolls themselves. However, The Sons of light with the sons of Darkness Scroll described a return from battle back to the congregation in Jerusalem (Pixner). Most accounts of the Essene come from Flavius Josephus, who wrote two books. They are The Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities. Josephus wrote his first book between 70 and 75 A.D. The second was written later but before 100 A.D., which was the same year as his death (E.C.S. Leavenworth). Flavius Josephus mentioned an Essene teacher named Judas who lived in Jerusalem in his writing. Josephus also mentioned Herod the Great met with an Essene leader in Jerusalem (Pixner).
According to Josephus, the Essene order originated around the second century B.C. It began during the reign of John yrcanus, between 135 and 104 B.C. (Allegro 94). The sect consisted of adult males who were mostly celibate. The Essene did not have any personnel property, they held high regard for cleanliness, and wore white garments exclusively. They strictly observed the Sabbath. They believed in purification through emersion in water. This belief may have been the foundation of baptism. They condemned slavery, cheating, and untruthfulness. They forbid trading to avoid covetousness. They forbid oaths, except the oath taken by new members. The membership oath included promising to keep the group's secrets, piety towards God, and to teach Essene beliefs to the outlying community (Columbia). The oath was followed by a two-year trial period. If a man proved to be worthy after having lived in the community for two years, he was given full member status (Columbia).

Flavius Josephus mentioned an Essene teacher named Judas who lived in Jerusalem in his writing. Josephus also mentioned Herod the Great met with an Essene leader in Jerusalem (Pixner). The emergence of the Essene was a slow process that probably took several hundred years. Many detailed events contributed to the uprise of one faction of the Jewish society. Over time misuse of power on the part of certain members of the priest class combined with external pressures from surrounding governments including the Romans caused a faction of the population to break away. One specific reason for the break away cannot be pinpointed. It is more likely that a varied combination of internal disagreements combined with external pressures from foreign leaders ripped the Jewish society apart (Vermes).

Josephus recorded that the Essene were one of three major Torah schools. The other two were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were mostly common people or laborers. The Sadducees were aristocrats. Priests usually came from this group. Although, the nucleus of the Essene group came from the Zadokite kohanim or Pharisee priests. Starting in the time of Solomon, the priests were descendents of the house of Zadok or Zadokite kohanim. Zadok was a son of Aaron. All priests were Pharisees and descendents of the house of Zadok. However, not all Pharisees were priests or descendants of Zadok. All the founders of the Essene group came from the house of Zadok, and were priests, and were former Pharisees (Pixner). The Essene sect members called themselves "The Sons of Zadok" (Allegra 95).

During the second century B.C. a successful revolt created an independent Jewish state. At that time the Hasmonean Kings took over the priesthood. This made king and priest one. The Zadokite Essene priests refused to recognize the authority of the Hasmonean king priests. As a result, the Essene refused to participate in the Hasmonean sacrificial offerings. The Essene publicly declared the Hasmonean sacrifices to be illegal, left the temple completely, and formed their own independent sect (Pixner).

Through time the Essene came to observe a different calendar than the temple priests. The temple priests kept a lunar calendar. The Essene adopted a solar calendar which had 52 weeks and 365 days per year. In the Essene calendar holidays always fell on the same day of the week. Therefore, Rosh Hashanah, Passover, and the first day of Sukkot always fell on a Wednesday. The Esssene changed to a solar calendar because they considered the Hasmonean lunar calendar to be tied to the Babylonians. Therefore, it was adulterated. They gave the example of the days of the months; Nisan, Shevet, Adar, and Tishri are Babylonian words. However, having a solar calendar meant the Essene celebrated holy days at different times than the temple priests. This contributed to the rift between the Essene and the rest of the Jewish community (Pixner). Josephus left a detailed written description of the Essene people that can be used to form a picture of daily life within the sect. The Essene observed strict purity rules. They viewed life as a conflict between the spiritual good and the physical bad. They were strongly concerned with ritual purity. One reason to separate themselves from other Jews was to maintain ritual purity. One group lived in a walled off section of Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. Here they built the Essene Gate, which is being excavated, along with other parts of the settlement, to this day. Other groups lived in secluded areas such as Qumran, where most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Their clothes were carefully washed and always white. They bathed frequently (Lipman). Sex was forbidden within the city of Jerusalem. Many members were celibate. Marriage was forbidden in some sects, but not others. However, it was always rare. Orphans were adopted to propagate the population (Pixner).

The Essene strict cleanliness rules led them to build a sewage system around their part of the city. The route of the sewage system is described in the Temple Scroll. The exact path an Essene was to follow when walking to the defecation area was also laid out in the Temple Scroll. The path was so well wore that it can be seen to this day (Pixner). The Essene also laid out bathing areas throughout their part of the city. The bathing wastewater routes were connected to the sewage system. The system very probably gave residents cleanliness and a disease free environment (Pixner). The Essene did not have a central governing body. Many individual groups lived in isolation. When one Essene traveled to another Essene group no luggage would be brought. Although, they were permitted to transport weapons for the purpose of defending themselves against thieves. It was the responsibility of certain members to care for traveling Essene. They did not change their shoes or clothes until they were completely worn out. They never bought or sold anything. Every Essene was obligated to freely share everything. When something was given, no record was kept. They despised wealth. No member of the group was permitted to own anything (Lipman).

They were very pious. No member was permitted to speak a word between sundown and sunrise. Instead, they would recite prayers that had been passed down for several generations. After a sunrise breakfast they would work until five p.m. At the five o'clock hour they would bath, change into clean clothes, and assemble in a private room. No non-Essene was allowed to enter. The activities of the room were completely secret. After the meeting, they gathered for a communal meal. They usually ate silently. Although, a member of the group could speak if every person at the table agreed to listen. After the afternoon meal they would change back into work clothes and commence laboring until sundown. They return home and ate supper in the same way as lunch. Due to the simple food and nature of their life, many Essene lived to be one hundred years old (Lipman).
An Essene was not permitted to do anything, except their specified work, without permission. No food or water could be given to one's family without permission unless the family was in great need. Anything could be given to anyone who was in great need without permission (Lipman).

Punishment within the group was severe. If a member broke the rules, he would be expelled from the group. Since an Essene was not permitted to accept food or water from anyone except a fellow Essene, being expelled from the group was a death sentence. Although, most Essene were pitied and readmitted to the group before they died. Anyone that blasphemed God's name was put to death (Lipman).

Essene rested on the seventh day of the week. All food and preparations had to be made previous to the day of rest. No vessel could be removed from its place. A fire could not be kindled (Lipman). All physical pleasures were off limits to sect members. However, sexual relations, only for the purpose of procreation, were allowed in some groups. The doctrine of the Essene stated that the physical body is corrupt but souls are immortal and continue forever. The human soul comes out of the air and is imprisoned in the body. The human soul was drawn to the physical body because it sought physical pleasure.When a person dies, the soul is again free (Lipman).

Some Essene orders agreed with other orders laws but did not forbid marriage. They believed that by not marrying a principle component of human life would be lost. They believed if the whole of mankind did not marry the human race would cease to exist. Therefore, marriage was necessary. However, a spouse must be tested for three years prior to marriage. The guidelines of the testing were not specified. However, one main rule of Essene marriage was that one could not engage in sex with one's wife while she was pregnant. This rule was established to prove that sex was restricted to propagation only and not for pleasure. The men and women within these groups bathed with their clothes on (Lipman).

The Essene believed some members could foretell the future by reading holy books and observing purification rituals. It was also believed these Essene held a continual discourse with the prophets. It was believed that they were seldom wrong (Lipman). Josephus wrote that the death of Antigonus in 103 B.C. at the hand of his brother Aristobulus, ruler of Judea, was predicted by an Essene (E.C.S. Leavenworth).

Josephus also wrote that Judas had been born an Essene. He proved this by writing that he had seen Judas sitting in the temple with pupils discussing the Essene laws, which could only mean he was connected to the group (E.C.S. Leavenworth).
The word Essene is a mystery of its own. A Hebrew derivative cannot be found. It has been suggested Essene may come from the Greek word Essaioi, which means Men of Council. Essaioi is closely associated to the word Osioi, which means holy or pure (E.C.S. Leavenworth).

The Dead Sea Scrolls, the most important possessions of the Essene, somehow survived the 68 A.D. Roman occupation. Some of the scrolls were probably written by Essene sect members while others were simply housed there as a library. It has been discovered that most of the scrolls hidden at Qumran were written between the first century B.C. and the first half of the first century A.D. Three types of scrolls were found. The types of documents found were; copies of books from the Hebrew Bible, copies of books now found in the New Testament, and books composed by the Essene order. The scrolls written by the Essene order include; The Manual of Discipline, The War of The Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness, The Thanksgiving Psalms, a commentary on the book of Habakkuk, and a scroll containing ritual laws called the Temple Scroll (Columbia).
Scrolls other than those previously mentioned have been found around the Dead Sea area. It is not known if these scrolls were also the possessions of the Essene sect. It is possible that Essene members escaped to outlying areas when the Romans overtook the Qumran area, which would explain why scrolls were found in other areas (Columbia).

Specifically the Essenes may have fled to an area known as Masada where a number of scrolls were found. The Songs of the Sabbath, and the Manuscripts of Sirach were found. Other scrolls were found eleven miles south of Qumran, in the caves of Wadi Murabbaat. These scrolls discuss Bar Kokba's Army. Bar Kokba was a leader who led a revolt against the Romans around 135 A.D. The scrolls include historical facts as well as anecdotes about his personality. Other scrolls concerning Bar Kokba were found in caves south of En Gedi. Included in the En Gedi scrolls were legal documents, and lost Greek translations of Minor Prophets. The oldest scrolls were found eight miles south of Jericho. They were the writing of Samarians that had been massacred by Alexander the Great around 331 B.C. (Columbia)

Most of the scrolls are at the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem. The remaining texts are housed at the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem (Columbia).

It is believed by some that the Essene served as a foundation for Christianity. These beliefs primarily generate from a similarity between a scrap of scroll and the Gospel of Mark. Also, the Temple Scroll outlined ethical rules, which closely resembled later Christian ethical standards (Columbia).

The sect ceased to exist sometime in the second century A.D. (Columbia). Although in spirit it still exists to the present. Many modern books have been published on the topic of Essene ideology. One such example is Beyond the Essene Hypothesis by Gabriele Boccaccini. This author, among many, many others, has taken the Dead Sea Scroll writings and tried to apply them to modern times and modern ideology (Century One).

Sections of the scrolls have been available to interested readers since the fifties. Amazingly, the Scrolls and commentaries on the scrolls still attract many readers to the present day. It was recently announced that many new sections, which have never been viewed by the general public, will be printed. I have no doubt, that after so many centuries readers will still rush to read them.

Sources

Allegro, John M. The Dead Sea Scrolls. Great Britain: C. Nichols & Company Ltd.
1956.
Century One Bookstore. "Beyond the Essene Hypothesis." Beyond the Essene
Hypothesis by Gabriele Boccaccini November 2001 Centuryone.com/4360-3.html >
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. "Essenes, Qumran,Simon Bar Kokba, Scrolls of the Qumran Caves, Other Texts, Control and Publication of Scrolls."1994.Infoplease.com.November2001http://www.infoplease.com/ceo/society/A0817717.html
E.C.S. Leavenworth; Goodnews Christian Ministry. "The Essenes And The
Dead Sea Scrolls." Goodnews Ministry November 2001 Members.aol.com/ecsl/goodnews.htm>
Lipman, David E.. "Josephus on Essenes, Pharisees, and Saducees." Gates
To Jewish Heritage. 2000. November 2001 Org/history/eyewitness/josects.stm>
Lipman, David E., "Saducees, Pharisees, and Essenes." Gates To Jewish
Heritage. 2000. November 2001 Eyewitness/josects.stm>
Pixner, Bargil. "Jerusalem's Essene Gateway." Biblical Archeology Review.
May/June 1997 Century One Foundation. November 2001 Centuryone.com/essene.html>
Vermes, Geza. The Dead Sea Scrolls. U.S.A.: William Collins & World Publishing Co.
Inc., 1978.