The Essenes are one of four groups attested as a Jewish sect by the first century Jewish Historian in Antiquities
18.18-22 (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots are the others). The other
groups attested by Josephus there all existed, so there is no reason to
think Josephus created this group as has been recently claimed,
especially since there is no good reason for him to create such a group
and references in Philo predate Josephus. So besides Josephus, the
Essenes are described by Philo (Quod omnis Probus 12-13.75-91) and Pliny (Natural History 5.15/73).
The
claim the name is absent in the Scrolls is challenged by some (Stephen
Goranson, "Others and Intra-Jewish Polemic as Reflected in the Dead Sea
Scrolls" in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years, Peter Flint and
James VanderKam, eds., pp. 534-551, argues they are self described as
"doers of Torah" and the name comes from being a "doer"). The
derivation of their name is still discussed, but Goranson's view looks
likely. Others appeal for etymology to the idea of "healers" with
spiritual healing being in view, since Josephus says they had interest
in medical substances and healing. Another idea is that it is a variant
on the Syriac word for pious, which is a nice fit since the documents
that come from the group refer to the group as the holy ones. Of the
three the idea of the doer of Torah may be the best current option.
This
was an aesthetic Jewish community that kept the Law very strictly. The
claim was that they lived a celibate life, though some think this
restriction involved periods of celibacy versus permanent celibacy,
since celibacy was frowned upon by the Law. Another option is that it
refers to only a minority within the group. If the Qumran community is
any guide, there was an emphasis on religious purity and there was a
qualification process before one could become a full member. They also
kept a distinct calendar, a solar one versus the common Jewish lunar
calendar. Josephus first mentions them by referring to an Essene known
as Judas in the time of Aristobulus I (105-104 BC; Ant. 13.311).
This
group is commonly identified as the separatist Jewish community at
Qumran. Their library the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized the study of
Jesus by giving us a solid glimpse at the variety of Jewish views in
the time of Jesus, supplementing what little we knew about Judaism in
the region from Josephus, by giving us a fresh array of religious
texts from the period. Whatever the Qumranians were called and wherever
they came from, their finds have helped us appreciate the Jewish roots
of Jesus better by giving us the backdrop into which he spoke.
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