Editing Essenes (section)

== Etymology ==
Josephus uses the name ''Essenes'' in his two main accounts, ''[[The Jewish War]]'' 2.119, 158, 160 and ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'', 13.171–2, but some manuscripts read here ''Essaion'' ("holding the Essenes in honour";<ref>Josephus ({{c.|lk=no|94}}). ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 15.372.</ref> "a certain Essene named Manaemus";<ref>Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 15.373.</ref> "to hold all Essenes in honor";<ref>Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 15.378.</ref> "the Essenes").<ref>Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 18.11.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 18.18.</ref><ref>Josephus. ''[[The Life of Flavius Josephus]]''. 10.</ref>

In several places, however, Josephus has ''Essaios'', which is usually assumed to mean ''Essene'' ("Judas of the ''Essaios'' race";<ref>Josephus. ''The Wars of the Jews''. I.78.</ref> "Simon of the ''Essaios'' race";<ref>Josephus. ''The Wars of the Jews''. 2.113.</ref> "John the ''Essaios''";<ref>Josephus. ''The Wars of the Jews''. 2.567; 3.11.</ref> "those who are called by us ''Essaioi''";<ref>Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 15.371.</ref> "Simon a man of the ''Essaios'' race").<ref>Josephus. ''Antiquities of the Jews''. 17.346.</ref> Josephus identified the Essenes as one of the three major Jewish sects of that period.<ref>''And when I was about sixteen years old, I had a mind to make trial of the several sects that were among us. These sects are three: The first is that of the Pharisees, the second that Sadducees, and the third that of the Essenes, as we have frequently told you'' [http://www.deusdiapente.net/science/Bible%20Research/LifeOfJosephus.pdf The Life of Josephus Flavius, 2].</ref>

Philo's usage is ''Essaioi'', although he admits this [[Grecized|Greek form of the original name]], that according to his [[etymology]] signifies "holiness", to be inexact.<ref name=Philo1>[[Philo]]. ''[http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book33.html Quod Omnis Probus Liber]''. XII.75–87.</ref> Pliny's Latin text has ''Esseni''.<ref name=Pliny1 /><ref name=Pliny>[[Pliny the Elder]]. ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]''. 5.73.</ref>

Gabriele Boccaccini implies that a convincing etymology for the name Essene has not been found, but that the term applies to a larger group within [[Judea]] that also included the [[Qumran]] community.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Gabriele |last=Boccaccini |title=Beyond the Essene hypothesis: the parting of the ways between Qumran and Enochic Judaism |publisher=[[William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]] |location=[[Grand Rapids, Michigan]] |year=1998 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AnAiz6fB2X8C&pg=PA47 47] |isbn=0-8028-4360-3 |oclc=37837643}}</ref>

It was proposed before the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] were discovered that the name came into several [[Greek language|Greek]] spellings from a Hebrew [[self-designation]] later found in some Dead Sea Scrolls, ''ʻosey haTorah'', "'doers' or 'makers' of [[Torah]]".<ref>{{Cite book|first=Stephen |last=Goranson |chapter=Others and Intra-Jewish Polemic as Reflected in Qumran Texts |editor=Peter W. Flint |editor2=James C. VanderKam |year=1999 |title=The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment |volume=2 |pages=534–551 |location=[[Leiden]] |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |isbn=90-04-11061-5 |oclc=230716707}}</ref> Although dozens of etymology suggestions have been published, this is the only etymology published before 1947 that was confirmed by [[Qumran]] text self-designation references, and it is gaining acceptance among scholars.<ref>For example, James C. VanderKam, "Identity and History of the Community". In The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, ed. Peter W. Flint and James C. VanderKam, 2:487–533. Leiden: Brill, 1999. The earliest known proposer of this etymology was P. Melanchthon, in [[Johann Carion]], ''Chronica'', 1532, folio 68 verso. Among the other proposers before 1947, e.g., 1839 Isaak Jost, "Die Essaer," Israelitische Annalen 19, 145–7.</ref> It is recognized as the etymology of the form ''Ossaioi'' (and note that Philo also offered an O spelling) and ''Essaioi'' and ''Esseni'' spelling variations have been discussed by VanderKam, Goranson, and others. In medieval Hebrew (e.g., ''[[Josippon|Sefer Yosippon]]'') ''Hassidim'' "the Pious" replaces "Essenes". While this Hebrew name is not the etymology of ''Essaioi''/''Esseni'', the Aramaic equivalent ''Hesi'im'' known from [[Eastern Aramaic languages|Eastern Aramaic]] texts has been suggested.<ref name=lightfoot1875>{{Cite book|first=Joseph Barber |last=Lightfoot |author-link=Joseph Barber Lightfoot |chapter=On Some Points Connected with the Essenes |title=St. Paul's epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a revised text with introductions, notes, and dissertations |year=1875 |url=https://archive.org/details/stpaulsepistles00lighgoog |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |location=London |oclc=6150927 }}</ref> Others suggest that Essene is a transliteration of the Hebrew word ''ḥiṣonim'' (''ḥiṣon'' "outside"), which the [[Mishnah]] (e.g., [[Megillah (Talmud)|Megillah]] 4:8<ref>{{cite web |title=Mishnah Megillah 4:8 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Megillah.4.8?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |website=sefaria.org |publisher=Sefaria}}</ref>) uses to describe various sectarian groups. Another theory is that the name was borrowed from a cult of devotees to [[Artemis]] in [[Anatolia]], whose demeanor and dress somewhat resembled those of the group in [[Judea (Roman province)|Judea]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schiffman |first1=Lawrence H. |title=Discovery and Acquisition, 1947–1956, Lawrence H. Schiffman, Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1994. |url=http://cojs.org/discovery-and-acquisition-1947-1956-lawrence-h-schiffman-reclaiming-the-dead-sea-scrolls-jewish-publication-society-philadelphia-1994/ |website=Center for Online Judaic Studies |access-date=16 April 2020 |date=27 July 2015}}</ref>

[[Josephus|Flavius Josephus]] in Chapter 8 of "[[The Jewish War]]" states:

{{blockquote|2.(119)For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the [[Sadducees]]; and the third sect, which pretends to a severer [[discipline]], are called Essenes. These last are Jews by birth, and seem to have a greater affection for each other than other sects have.<ref>Whiston and Maier, 1999, "[[The Jewish War]]", Chapter 8, p. 736</ref>}}