What are the Dead Sea scrolls writings about?
Along with biblical texts, the scrolls include documents about sectarian regulations, such as the Community Rule, and religious writings that do not appear in the Old Testament.
What did the Essenes write?
The Dead Sea Scrolls may have been written, at least in part, by a sectarian group called the Essenes, according to nearly 200 textiles discovered in caves at Qumran, in the West Bank, where the religious texts had been stored.
What did Essenes believe?
Like the Pharisees, the Essenes meticulously observed the Law of Moses, the sabbath, and ritual purity. They also professed belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin. But, unlike the Pharisees, the Essenes denied the resurrection of the body and refused to immerse themselves in public life.
Why is the Dead Sea scrolls important?
The Dead Sea Scrolls are important not only because they offer insight into the community at Qumrān but because they provide a window to the wider spectrum of ancient Jewish belief and practice.
Why are the Dead Sea scrolls so important?
Are there Essenes today?
There are, indeed, people today who consider themselves contemporary Essenes, usually led by a rabbi. There is even a Modern Essene Movement of Southern California. Their last gathering, according to their website, was a vegetarian potluck supper last November.
Who were the Essenes and why are they important?
The Essenes were a separatist group, some of whom formed an ascetic monastic community and retreated to the wilderness of Judea. They shared material possessions and occupied themselves with disciplined study, worship, and work. They practiced ritual immersion and ate their meals communally. One branch did not marry.
Where did the Essenes come from?
Who were the Essenes? A good example of a group which separated itself from society at large and defined itself against the Temple in Jerusalem are the Essenes, or perhaps you might say, the people of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Dead Sea community, whom most scholars regard as Essenes.