Observances of Essene Practice

In the future I will give a historical account of the factual cover up of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and post all of the complete scrolls that have been uploaded to date so we can see the teachings for ourselves. I have come to the personal conclusion that the Essene teachings are the actual New Covenant teachings, but the NT is a story implemented by Rome which incorporates the teachings of Christ who was an Essene leader and teacher, but also incorporates the story of Paul and Rome's point of view.

Here is an account of practices and observances from the ancient Essenes, which is an overview, and a broad look at the relationships which are exposed when looking deepply into historical references and not just the Old or New Testament literature:

1. Bathe twice a day for the purpose of spiritual purification. It is important to keep skin clean but even more that the water is cleansing the soul. The second purification was during an extended lunch break in the work week, but to our duties in the modern day it can be after work. This ritual can also occur before praying, before entering a person's house or before a meal.

2. Dress in white.

3. Do not offer animal sacrifice. (The temple sacrifices were done in private, as a spiritual sacrifice of ones self to the Creator, and sacrifices were offered to themselves within the community).

4. Do not swear on an oath. (The Essenes believed that if you had to swear by something to show you are truthful then you are probably false when not).

5. Control appetite and do not over eat. (The Essenes practiced vegetarianism refusing to harm any living thing, and measured rations).

6. Say a prayer of thanksgiving before and after each meal, eating in silence out of respect to the Creator.

7. Share common wealth. (This has not been chosen to do in any respect for this modern day).

8. A person must prove and demonstrate their purity before being accept as an Essene; they must display a character of virtue.

9. Oppose luxury and 'things in excess,' as it was believed the soul could be corrupted when occupying a body. (Today society encourages luxury and wealth, glorifying the 1% elite).

10. Wash a persons feet as a sign of friendship and to cultivate the idea they are taking care of one another, as the Father of all takes care of them. (Society today thrives on showing apathy, a huge personal disappointment). (Many pieces of evidence such as this stand out from New testament scripture which support this data).

11. Bless one another by laying hands on the top of the head, in order to be always united with the light and to reinforce the love which flows throughout.

12. Speak in a soft voice and always control emotions such as anger.

In relation to the vast evidence to show that the Essenes were called the Nazarenes:

Josephus declares that the Essenes have existed "from time immemorial" and "countless generations". Philo agrees, calling the Essenes "the most ancient of all the initiates" with a "teaching perpetuated through an immense space of ages"

1. Their origin is lost in pre-history with certain ancient legends linking them with Enoch;

2. There was a major remanifestation of the Essenes by Moses at Mount Sinai.

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Speak to the Israelites and say: If a man or a woman wishes to make a vow, the Nazirite vow, to vow himself to Yahweh, he will abstain from wine and fermented liquor, he will not drink vinegar derived from one or the other, he will not drink grape juice or eat grapes, be they fresh or dried. For the duration of his vow he will eat nothing that comes from the vine, not even juice of unripe grapes or skins of grapes. As long as he is bond by his vow, no razor will touch his head; until the time for which he has vowed himself to Yahweh.
Numbers 6:1- 8

Mount Carmel had been the stronghold of the Essenes that came from a place in Galilee named Nazareth

Mount Carmel was the area the prophet Elijah went up to pray. Elijah was a 'Holy One,' which is the meaning of Essene. Christ went to the same mountain. John the Baptist was a Nazarite also.

As of today there is no evidence that a 1st century town named Nazareth ever existed, not literary, not archaeologically and not historically.
We cannot venture to assert positively that there was a city of Nazareth in Jesus’ time. (The Encyclopaedia Biblica)

So why is Christ called Jesus of Nazareth? Obviously because he was an Essene. When people lie in such a sophisticated way, we have to research like this, which is grabbing different pieces of a puzzle and putting them together.

Here is a small account of practices and observances of the Nazarites, pointed out as almost surely being Essenes:

1. Did not cut their hair.

2. If not married stayed celibate.

3. Main area of teaching by Mt. Carmel, the second largest was Qumran.

4. Engage in simple raw diets.

5. No animal sacrifice.

a reply to: greyer

When you post your documents, make sure you link to this one.

Document Belonging to the Instructor

I have read most of them. This one is the most important of the collection.

a reply to: greyer

Hi.

I read your thread with great interest. I just want to point out two things before I go any further. I know that the Nazarenes did not drink wine. Yet Jesus did drink wine. Also, the Essenes were vegetarian and Jesus did eat fish.

A lot of what Jesus spoke is, like you say, very similar if not the same as the Essenes. He certainly fits the bill apart from those two observations I pointed out.

You are right about them being based at Nazareth and all you say about Mt Carmel is true, also.

I am sure somehow Jesus was related in some way to the Essenes as was John The Baptist and some of their disciples, too. It is interesting to note that there were three main sects of Judaism during Christ's life time; Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes. Jesus heavily criticized both the former, but He never once criticized the Essenes and their practices.

Great post. Thank you.

If all these methoeds have strong spiritual implications then it is likely they will be ignored unless one has already found ways to alighn ones self to what the practices are leading too. Your efforts will not be in vein but also not completly understood until acted upon. To put it simply you are submitting a battle plan for one side to over come another to beings that are mostly open to both sides of influences. The true lessons and meanings are best taught in person because some aspects will always remain secret.

a reply to: lonesomerimbaud

The Nazarite oath was often a temporary oath, one that it is said that Paul took, and immediately after he finished his "initiation" he cut his hair. Poor Paul, it must have been a real trial for him to have had to wear his hair long! LOL

It may be that Jesus the Nazarene, if he existed, abandoned his oath when he embarked on his ministry.

Or, it may be the biblical narrative has been altered to cover the fact that Jesus, if he existed, was an Essene. The early Christian church isolated, alienated, outlawed and murdered the Essene and anyone who violated their anti-Judaism new church laws.

The biblical narrative of the birth and death of Jesus don't add up for that time period. It could very well be that the story of Jesus encompasses a great deal of various historical people and events. For example, the description of the Star of Bethlehem can only be historically identified as Ceasar's Comet, while the story of his death seems to reflect the events of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii, events spanning around 125 years.

Perhaps, could it be, Jesus was a real person, but lived earlier than thought and was known to the Essene as the Righteous Teacher?

originally posted by: lonesomerimbaud
a reply to: greyer

Hi.

I read your thread with great interest. I just want to point out two things before I go any further. I know that the Nazarenes did not drink wine. Yet Jesus did drink wine. Also, the Essenes were vegetarian and Jesus did eat fish.

Hey thank you, I will be posting a lot about the Essenes but of course the truth is still up in the air over who Christ was, there is simply too many lies and not enough evidence to easily understand it all.

I could be forgetting if the NT said Christ was getting drunk with the Pharisees. Remember the turning into wine story was a Greek, and who knows whatever other mystery religion, story of Mithra. Christ was young in that story but it doesn't have a hint of truth. We have to believe that the church fathers took that pagan story and implemented it into the Christian religion - because that is what we discover when history is researched.

A lot of what Jesus spoke is, like you say, very similar if not the same as the Essenes. He certainly fits the bill apart from those two observations I pointed out.

It is going to be nice to have the directory thread soon, we will have a large list of links to each book. I appreciate the feedback if there are any books I will miss. The state of Israel is working with Google to take pictures of all the books, but I am not including any of that because they are not putting out the controversial books, they are extremely slow, and they don't translate the pictures so it is only for researchers who know Aramaic.

The first thing that sparked an interest in me is reading the parables from the Scrolls. They are the exact same kind of parables you read in the NT, in Judaism there was proverbs, and since Sumer there have been commandments, but the teaching in parables is unique to the NT. The second thing that made me see the teachings were the same as the NT was the teaching of love. This specific teaching of loving others is unique to all religions, and I believe it is the specific teaching of Christ (the New Covenant).

You are right about them being based at Nazareth and all you say about Mt Carmel is true, also.

They argue that Christ was a Nazarene and not a Nazarite. With the way language changes over the centuries that shouldn't be a huge thing. Since Nazareth shows relation I would say that is how the city originally got it's name. I have heard a researcher say they were one and the same. 'Jesus of Nazareth,' 'Mary of Magdalene,' maybe that is why they let it go into the history books.

I am sure somehow Jesus was related in some way to the Essenes as was John The Baptist and some of their disciples, too. It is interesting to note that there were three main sects of Judaism during Christ's life time; Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes. Jesus heavily criticized both the former, but He never once criticized the Essenes and their practices.

I'm almost sure that is has been established John the Baptist was an Essene. There was one more group called the Zealots. Some claim Christ was a Zealot because there is some evidence, but I believe there was more evidence he was an Essene. A reference to a Zealot was when the Pharisees said that Christ did not wash his feet before going into the temple, and the disciples did not wash their feet either. The Zealots did not wash their feet before going into a temple or house of a friend, but the Essenes did make sure to wash their feet. Perhaps they added that part to make people think Christ was a Zealot, because the actual doctrine - the Teachings of Righteousness, conform to the Essenes. But the Zealots could be a break off group, they were not mentioned as much by historians and not in a positive light, being too strict and zealous, the media may say fanatical but I don't know if that's true.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
If all these methoeds have strong spiritual implications then it is likely they will be ignored unless one has already found ways to alighn ones self to what the practices are leading too.

Oh yes, that root of foundation. Good thing I am the exact opposite of a typical modern Christian. But, I am sad that in order to acknowledge and follow the true Way I have to be the opposite of what everybody is today.

I am not here to make anybody an Essene, or a modern Essene. For all I am concerned it is the True Way of the New Covenant. There are so many lies surrounding the story of Christ that we still have not found all the answers.

The lies started since the beginning of time, in an attempt to grip the world in it's control. Leader after leader, they had a brigade of intelligent men who wanted to control the world, you can't really blame them for that, but we can blame them for corrupting religion.

It is very hard work to be righteous. I do not judge what other people work for, but I see it is not righteousness. When the truth is revealed it is understood that only our own righteousness affects our chances of Eternal Life.

I Am Here to simply be a voice that says 'People have lied to you in the name of religion, generation after generation, century after century.' Even the official Essene modern church Has The Teachings Wrong. It is not easy to get it right, because of the Dead Sea Scroll cover up, and because of the massive attempt to degrade the historical Christ and keep the power in worldly hands.

A big thing wrong is that people call Christ the Son of God. No, that was a pagan reference since long before Christ. This is very disappointing because scripture after scripture, people avoid listening to the teachings of Christ. Christ called himself the Son of Man! Do you know Why? So if Christ called himself the Son of Man, and argued with the people for calling him a special god set aside from God, why would you call him Son of God? Time after time you go against the teaching. He argued with the people over who should be called a god because it was a strict teaching to Not Deify Any Image of Man In The Name of God - This Was A Strict Teaching And Every Modern Christian Goes Against It. Now Lets Look At The Truth - They Are Selfish! They Do Not Want To Listen! He was trying to get out of 1,000s of years of pagan practice and influence and now you modern Christians just bring us all down to that point so we have to work harder now.