Essenes: Monastic, Ascetic Mystics Flashcards
1
Q
Name:
A
Unknown origin
2
Q
Origin
A
- Reactionary movement meant to counter corrupt Sadducean priesthood
- Identified with various groups including Hassidim, Zealots, greek influence or iranian influence
3
Q
Segments of Society
A
-Scattered throughout the villages of Judea , Qumran community
4
Q
Key Tenets
A
- Very strict ascetics
- Monastic, took vow of celibacy, some did marry for the purpose of procreation
- Rigidly adherent to the law, strict rendering of ethical teachings
- Considered other literature as authoritative, in addition to the hebrew scriptures
- Believed and lived a life of pacifism
- Rejected temple worship and offerings as corrupted
- immortal soul, no bodily resurrection
- Apocalyptically oriented
5
Q
Activities
A
- Devoted to copying and studying the manuscripts of the law
- community oriented
- long probationary period and ritual baptisms of those wishing to join
- highly virtuous and righteous
- extremely self-disciplined
- diligent manual labourers
- great importance to daily worship
- upheld rigid Sabbath laws
- Maintained a non-levitical priesthood
- rejected worldly pleasures as evil
- rejected matrimony, but did not forbid others to marry