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According to Josephus they addressed their " ancient prayers to the sun, as if entreating him to rise." After prayers, work commenced, followed by a meal for which they prepared by ablutions. After the meal they returned to work and at evening reassembled to partake of the evening meal. They observed the Sabbath strictly, rejected bloody sacrifices but sent their oblations to the temple. Of the religious tenets and teaching of the Essenes little is known. They were no doubt Jews. The law was highly esteemed, and was expounded on the Sabbath and punctiliously observed. In this respect the Essenes resembled the Pharisees. According to Josephus they occupied themselves only with the ethical side of philosophy. They believed in the immortality of the soul and in angels; not to divulge the names of the angels was a part of the oath taken by novices.

Esseniam was an enigmatic phenomenon concerning which views differ. The name appears in different forms (Esadioi in Philo, Easenoi in Josephus, Esseni in Pliny), and has been variously interpreted. Some derive it from the Greek hosios, " pious "; others from the Semitic hasse, plural haaain, " pious,"; and others from assays, "physi cians "; Salinasius ( according to Josephus, Ant. XIII., xv. 3 ) derived it from the city of Eesa, a

hypothesis adopted by Hilgenfeld.

of Its name is the question of the origin and Origin and nature of Essenisln. Some consider Character. it a purely Jewish development. Others see here extra-Jewish influences. Within these two views there is another difference of opinion over the peculiarities in which Esaenism differs from Judaism and what influences were at work in its origin. There is no doubt as to the relation of Eseenism to Pharisaism. Schiirer (English ed., IL, ii. 210) thinks that " Essenism is

. merely Pharisaism in the superlative degree." But this is not sufficient to explain the peculiarities. Scholars like Ritschl would explain all peculiarities from the fact that the Essence wished to be a people of priests. Others, like Beatmann and Lucius, think that in the time of the Maccabees the exclusive pious separated from the temple at Jerusalem and formed a community of their own. For a time Hilgenfeld considered the Eesenes Jewish mystics, then again he spoke of Persian or even of Buddhistic influences, but in his later works he returned to his earlier position, and derived them from the original Rechabites (q.v.). Whatever foreign influences were operative, Buddhiatic were not among them, though Persian may have been. The philosopher Zeller has endeavored to prove that Essenism has its parallels in Pythagoriam (Gesehichte der Philosophic der Grieehen, iii. 277 eqq., Leipsic, 1881). Whether it is at all necessary to assume foreign influences depends upon the answer to the question whether Josephus' notes on the anthropology of the Essence are correct. Whereas Essenism as far as its tenets and mode of life .go may be explained from Judaism and may be considered an effort akin to that of Pharisaism completely to attain by isolation purity of life, the Essenic doctrine of man can be explained

only from foreign, most probably Pythagorean, influences. But then it can be assumed that other influences also, in which Eesenism differs from ordinary Judaism, came from the same sources. Only scanty notices survive about the history of Esseniam. The first Essene Judas, mentioned by name lived about the time of Antigonus c. 110 a.c. (Josephus, Ant. XIII., ix.). In the time of Christ the sect seems to have been strong, but every supposed contact of Christ with it belongs to the realm of unfounded hypotheses. When and how Esseniam was taken up by Christianity and its adherents were received into the Christian Church is not known. It may be supposed that some joined the Church, though they still retained some distinctive peculiarities. This is probably the kernel of what Epiphanius tells of the Essence and Sampaeeans. In the system of the Clementines Eseenic elements are probably contained.

(G. Ui;r.HOa,Nf.)

Probua fiber, 7tii.-xiii., Mangey's ed, ii 457-459, and Apology for the Jews' preserved by Euaebiua, Preeparatio Evanpelica, viii. 11, and Mangey, ii. 832-834; Jaeephue, War, IL.viii. 2-13; Ant. XIII., v. 9, XV. x. 4, 5, XVIII. i. 6 (Joaephuewsa in o position to give accurate notices, since he lived near them); Pliny, Hint. not. v. 17. Later literature on the Esaenes is extensive, and is beet given in SchOrer, Geachichte, ii. 558-559, attar which follows SchOrer's valuable treatment of the subject, pp. 559 584, Eng. transl. IL, ii. 188-218. Consult: Frankel. in Zeitechrift fair din religi6aen Intereaaen den Judenthuma, iii (1848), 441-481; A. R.itaehl, in Theolapieche JahrMlrhsr, aiv (1855). 315-358; A. Hilgenfeld, Jildieche AiocalYDtik. DP. 243-288. Jens, 1857; idem, ICstaergeachiehte den Urchriatenfhuma, pp. 87-149, Leipaic, 1884; J. M. Jost, Geschichte den Judentuma, i . 207-214, Leipsie, 1857; C. D. Ginsburg, The Eaaenea, London, 1884; J. Derenbourg, Hsetoire de la Palatine, pp 188-175, 480482, Paris, 1887; Clemens, in ZWT, xii (1889), 328-352; H. Ewald, Hint. of Israel, v. 370 eqq., London, 1874; J. B. Lightfoot, Commentary on Colossians, pp. 82-98, 349-419, ib. 1875; H. J. Beatmann, Geachiehte der chriah lichen 3itte, i. 308 eqq., N6rdlingen, 1880; P. E. Lucius, Der Esaeniemus, Strasburg, 1881; A. Lillie, Buddhism in Christendom, or Jesus the Eaaene, London, 1887; Ohle, in JPT, xiii (1887),298-344, 378-394, siv (1888), 221-274, 314-320, 388-387; H. Greets, Geaehichte der Juden, iii. passim, Leipsie, 1888; T. K: Cheyne, Origin of the Psalter, pp. 918-421, 448-449, London, 1891; J. E. H. Thompson, Books Which Influenced Our Lord, pp. 75-122, 217-224, Edinburgh, 1891; N. I. Weinstein. Beitrdge our Geachichte der Bader, Vienna, 1892; M. Dedie, Lee Eealmitne, Montaubsn, 1895; A. Regeffe, La Sects den Eeaeniens, Lyons, 1898; DCB, ii. 198-208; DB, i. 787-772; EB, ii. 13981400; JR, v. 224-232.