The Essenes Research Paper

The Essenes were a sect of Judaism during the first century CE who mostly lived in the desert, by the Dead Sea. They believed that Jerusalem was an area too holy to live in and was consequently being corrupted by the lives its inhabitants. Hence, the Essenes were said to have formed in protest to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other forms of Judaism around during the period that had been corrupted by society and were therefore being unfaithful to God in the eyes of the Essenes. In particular the Essenes disapproved of the running of the temple. As a result the Essenes lived a monastic life separated from the rest of society and focused their attention towards avoiding unnecessary luxuries and devoting their time to the study and teaching of …show more content…
In terms of their beliefs, they believed in the prospect of a messiah, didn’t believe that Jesus was their messiah. They didn’t believe in free-will, but rather that God had an exact plan for each of his children. Also, they rejected oral law as concept and believed it was solely written law that should be worshiped and taught. The Essenes were also known to practice non-violence and so didn’t enter into any of the revolts against the Romans. They were strong believers in fate and that people who did good will be rewarded and people who did bad will be punished. Consequently, they believed in the immorality of the soul and in resurrection. The Essenes lived in a community in which no buying or selling took place but rather ‘the Essenes shared their possessions’. This concept was at the core of the Essenes beliefs as they valued a sense of ‘brotherhood’ in their community. Also, they were known for being very strict and so if members of the ‘brotherhood’ violated the rules or beliefs of their sect they would often be removed from the sect or more often than not given the punishment of

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