The Essene community’s influence on early Christianity

In Luke 1:31-35, an angel tells the Virgin Mary, “And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High, the son of God.” In the Dead Sea Scroll  4Q 246), “He will be called great, and he will be called Son of God, and they will call him Son of the Most High. He will judge the earth in righteousness…and every nation will bow down to him.”

Josephus writes that the Essenes believed that all things come from God and that the soul is eternal. They strived for righteousness rewards, and while they did not offer sacrifice in the temple, they did send dedications. They sacrifice in private. They survived on husbandry (care, cultivation, and breeding animals). All things were held in common (communism?), the rich man having no more than the poor man. During the time of Josephus, 4000 men were living in the community. They were celibate, did not take wives, and owned no servants or slaves.

Philo goes into much greater detail. Many of his observations can be found in “Christianity from the Early Church to the officially recognized Roman Church Organization.” To summarize this seven-page report on the Essenes, Philo maintains: The Essenes forsake filial relationships (11. 2) and replace such feelings with virtue and love of gentleness and humanity. They have no children or other minors in their communities. Still, all are men with no bodily passions and thus enjoy true liberty. (11.4) There is no ownership of houses, flocks, farms, or slaves. Still, everything contributes to the common good of the community. (11.5 – 11.6) The members rise early and work until sunset, convinced that hard work is pleasing to both soul and body, and each one works according to his ability and receives according to his needs. (11.7 -11.9) All means are communal and simple, as are their mode of dress, which is universal. If one is sick, one can find a cure in common resources. They will never marry and consider women deceitful by nature, and tend to provoke men to acts of violence. (11.9-11.18)

The Nazreen Way of Essenic studies argues for the similarity between Essene theology and Christian doctrines. Some examples are: (Philo) the first duty is to seek the kingdom of God. This Essene example is paralleled by Mt 6:33 and Luke 12:31, where it is written to seek first the kingdom of God. Further, the Essenes denied amusements and pleasures of the senses (Philo), paralleled by (Mt. 6:19), which recommends not to lay up treasures on earth. As Josephus wrote, “They do not buy or sell among themselves but give freely to those in need,” paralleled by (Acts 2:45) “And parted them (their goods) to all men as every man had a need.” Eusebius quoted Philo as saying they left their mothers, brothers, property, and siblings. In Luke 14:26, 33, we find that Jesus said, “Whosoever forsaketh, not father and mother, house and lands, cannot be my disciples.” This comparison is one of 61 parallels from the New Testament. Neither Josephus, living in Judea, nor Philo, in Alexandria, speaks of Christianity. Still, both describe a remarkably similar religion in doctrines and moral precepts.

New Light on Ancient Texts and Communities, Baylor University Press, 2018, M.O. Wise, refers to several interesting parallels that are noted in Joseph’s works; Wise is particularly interested in Chapter 3 of Joseph’s study, entitled “The Anointed Prophet,” regarding Qumran messianism and Jesus. Wise focuses on scroll 4Q521, which, Wise argues, contains phraseology and concepts similar to those found in the Gospel statements about Jesus. For instance, Matthew 11:4-5 and Luke 7:22 do reflect written traditions with Essenic text 4Q21; Wise further argues that this text was a source for evolving Christian traditions about Jesus. Wise refers to Joseph’s 4th Chapter, wherein Joseph finds that five important legal topics are similar: divorce, Sabbath law, temple sacrifices, celibacy, violence, and nonviolence. Joseph concludes the analysis in a short concluding chapter that answers the following questions: “Was the historical Jesus influenced by the Essenes?” The answer is “Yes.” “Was the Jesus movement influenced by the Essenes?” The answer is “Yes.” “Did the early Jesus movement develop in ideological proximation and relationship to the Essenes?” The answer is “Yes.”

It is clear that the Essenes influenced the Early Christians in terms of moral behavior. Much of what was written in the Gospels were restatements of the Essene moral codes. As the Church developed, it can reasonably be assumed that this, in time, evolved into a base for church rituals. The Last Supper is undoubtedly an example. Professor Flusser argues that should the theory that the Sacrament of the Eucharist is Essenic in origin be accepted, then another question needs to be addressed: does this mean that Jesus’s last supper in Jerusalem was in actuality n Essenic ceremony?

Regarding the questions posed at the beginning of the essay, the teachings and examples set by the Essene community had a profound and lasting impact on the Early Christian community. They served as a moral compass, allowing the lay members of the new movement to transition and evolve into the Church.

Concerning the Essenes’ influence on Christian Sacraments, it is generally agreed that the Church was based on seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, the Eucharist, Sacred Orders, Holy Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. While many Sacraments were evolving, the Essene influence can undoubtedly be seen in Baptism and the Eucharist in keeping with the spirit of the Essenes. The Augustinian cleric Hugo of St. Victor (1096-1141) characterized the sacraments as outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace. The Church was built on the solid foundations of both the Essenes and the apostles’ work; Lazarus could easily be raised from the dead if Jesus (trained in Essene medical theory) applied CPR to him in time and breathed life into him.