There were Essene communities scattered throughout Palestine. I wonder if Nazareth could have been a suitable location for such a community. In that case Jesus grew up as an Essene. But his innovative mission resulted in a split from strict adherents and he moved to Capernaum with other family members. He came to know the Baptizer through his Essene links and was inspired by John as a fellow innovator, promoting an active campaign for renewal. These are my ideas on the subject.
Bob Curtis - 3 years ago
It seems to me that the three most viable hypotheses would be
1) The Essene connections came exclusively through John
2) The Essene connections came exclusively from Jesus’ own time in the Wliderness(The 40 Day Temptation Journey), or
3) Some combination of those two sources
Keith Romig - 3 years ago
What do we really know about John the Baptist and his followers beyond what's written in the four Gospels and Acts? Is there more information in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Are there Mandaean scriptures and traditions that could shed light?
Daniel J. Mahar - 3 years ago
From my personal standpoint, I answered "Unsure" if only on account of the wide-spread, cross pollenization of ideas among the various groups back then, both known and unknown. Do we know for certain John was or started out as an Essene? Your exploration may raise more questions than answers, but I think that makes it all the more a worthy and fascinating endeavor.
There were Essene communities scattered throughout Palestine. I wonder if Nazareth could have been a suitable location for such a community. In that case Jesus grew up as an Essene. But his innovative mission resulted in a split from strict adherents and he moved to Capernaum with other family members. He came to know the Baptizer through his Essene links and was inspired by John as a fellow innovator, promoting an active campaign for renewal. These are my ideas on the subject.
It seems to me that the three most viable hypotheses would be
1) The Essene connections came exclusively through John
2) The Essene connections came exclusively from Jesus’ own time in the Wliderness(The 40 Day Temptation Journey), or
3) Some combination of those two sources
What do we really know about John the Baptist and his followers beyond what's written in the four Gospels and Acts? Is there more information in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Are there Mandaean scriptures and traditions that could shed light?
From my personal standpoint, I answered "Unsure" if only on account of the wide-spread, cross pollenization of ideas among the various groups back then, both known and unknown. Do we know for certain John was or started out as an Essene? Your exploration may raise more questions than answers, but I think that makes it all the more a worthy and fascinating endeavor.