The Essene Hypothesis with regards to the Dead Sea Scrolls
Ancient Hebrew scrolls that were accidentally discovered in 1947 by a Bedouin boy have stirred up popular enthusiasm as well as scholarly interest over the past half-century. The source of this excitement is what these Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about the history of the Second Temple period (520 BCE-70 CE), particularly from the second century BCE until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls caused intense controversy in scholarly circles over their date and the identity of the community they represented. After the time span of the Dead Sea Scrolls was accepted, the Essene Hypothesis was looked upon. The Essene Hypothesis states that that the Dead Sea Scrolls, also known as Qumran texts, were the remains of the library of the Essenes and that the Essenes lived in Qumran. James C. VanderKam and Frank M. Cross agree with the Essene Hypothesis. They use classical sources and relate them to the Dead Sea Scrolls as evidence. Through t!he topics of fate, property, and celibacy, it seems obvious that the Essenes did live in Qumran during 520 BCE -70 CE James C. VanderKam argues that those who settled in Qumran were Essenes. VanderKam's views are based on evidence f
Philo's text in a nutshell says that everyone shares everything and everyone is equal. Although there is a small discrepancy with the years assigned to initiation in The Community Rule and Josephus' description, the similarities between these 3 sources are practically identical. They all agree that everyone is on the same level and that everyone shares everything. Not one person from the community is better than another, richer than another, or has more privileges than another. From all of these comparisons, VanderKam has solid evidence in stating that the Essenes settled in Qumran. 4)Philo, The Hypothetica, (Philo on the Essenes), 3 rom Pliny the Elder, Josephus, and Philo. Pliny the Elder provides support for the hypothesis, which places the Essenes as the inhabitants in Qumran in his book Natural History: This passage states that God has predetermined human life before birth. And when God decides that it is time for one to come to life, it is with God's design that they partake on life's duties without change. This view can be compared to what Josephus says in his book of Jewish Antiquities: Looking at the issue of property can also recognize the relationship between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essenes. In the Community Rule it is said: What Josephus is saying that everyone in the Essene community is equal. When new members want to join, their property is taken, and shared with the entire community. And finally Philo describes property as such:
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Approximate Word count = 1520
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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