THE ESSENES.
28
meal a mysterious silence was observed, and at
its
close the
members resumed
their worliiug
and their several employments
and the Essenes had even
Although everything was done under the directions of overseers,
to receive their presents through the stewards, yet they might relieve the distressed, though
as they thought proper.
they were not of the brotherhood, with as much money
Ten persons constituted a complete and legal
observed.
The Sabbath was
until supper-time.
clothes
rigorously
an Essene would n ever
worship and in the presence of such an assembly
to his right hand.
Tliey had no ordained ministers,
spit, nor would he at any time spit
ordinances of the brotherhood, as well as the mysteries connected
and the distinctive
and the
with the
worlds, were the prominent topics of Sabbatic
number
for divine
;
angelic
Tetragrammaton
instruction.
from the Jewish community
Celibacy berng the rule of Essenism, recruits were obtained
had to pass through a novitiate of two stages, which
at large.
Every grown-up candidate
In the first, which lasted
before he could be finally accepted.
extended over three
years,
twelve months, he had to cast
all his
possessions into the
common
treasury,
and received a
a spade} an apron, used at the lustrations, and a white
copy
After this probation, he was admitted
role, to put on at meals, being the symbols of purity.
into the second stage, which lasted two years, and was called an approacher.
During tliis
he was admitted to a closer fellowship, and shared in the lustral rites, but could not
of the ordinances, as well as
period
hold any office or
down
sit
at the
became
probation, the approacher
common
a?i
On
passing through the second stage of
associate, or a full member of the society, when he was
table.
common
received into the brotherhood, and partook of the
meal.
Before, however, he was made a homildcs, or finally admitted into close fellowship, he had
to bind himself by a most solemn oath (this being the only occasion on which the Essenes
used an oath), to observe three things: 1. Love to God; 2. Merciful justice towards all men
—
to be faithful
to every
man, and especially
to rulers
^
;
and
3.
Purity of character, which
implied inter alia strict secresy towards outsiders, so as not to divulge the secret doctrines*
QxvcTTyfua) to
and perfect openness with the members of the order.
sections, consisting of candidate, approacher, and associate, were subdivided into
any
The three
one,
four orders, distinguished from each other by superior holiness.
From
there were
the beginning of the novitiate to the achievement of the highest spiritual state,
At the sixth
eii/ht different stages which marked the gradual growth in holiness.
became the temple
of these the aspirant
again, he
and
advanced (seven)
And
raise the dead.
to that stage in
finally,
Thence,
Holy Spirit, and could prophesy.
which he was enabled to perform miraculous cures
of the
he'attained (eight) to the position of Elias, the forerunner
of the Messiah.
It
may
community
1
fairly
be questioned whether any religious
of saints
;
and
it is
therefore no
system has ever produced such a
(of different sects), Greeks and
wonder that Jews
See Deut. xxiii., 12-14.
Neander lays great stress on this inculcation, saying "they were particularly distinguished on account of their
from the seditious spirit of the Jews, in rendering fidelity to the magistrates" (General History of
the Christian Religion and Church, vol. i., p. 62).
'
fidelity, so different
'
"Tlieir whole secret lore can hardly be imagined to have consisted simjily of ethical elements, hut
to the sitpposition of a peculiar theosophy
Church,
vol.
i.,
p. 64).
and pneumatology
"
we
are here forced
(Neandcr, General History of the Christian Keligion and