Essenes

The Essenes (es'-eenz) were a religious sect of Judaism that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD in Qumran, a plateau in the Judean Desert along the Dead Sea. The origin of the name Essene is debated. Some credible possibilities are either a version of the Greek word for "holy," or a Aramaic dialect term for "pious." In their writings, they refer to themselves as the "Sons of Light". Many scholars today believe there were a number of separate but related groups that had in common mystic, eschatological, messianic, and ascetic beliefs that were referred to as the "Essenes."

Related Topics:
Judaism - 2nd century BC - 1st century AD - Qumran - Plateau - Judean Desert - Dead Sea - Greek - Holy - Aramaic - Dialect - Mystic - Eschatological - Messianic - Ascetic

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