8. 7). This vow sufficiently shews the doctrines and practices of the sect.
3. The Origin of this sect, and its relationship to yudaism and origin of this sect has been greatly mystified by Philo and Josephus, who being anxious to represent their co-religionists to cultivated Greeks in a Hellenistic garb, made the Essenes resemble as much as pos sible the Ascetic, Pythagorean, Platonic, and other philosophers. This mystification has been still more mystified by the account of Pliny, who tells us that this community has prolonged its existence for thousands of ages (Ver seculorum millia incredi bile dictu,—gens eterna est in qua now nascitur, Kist. Nat., lib. v. c. 15). Modern writers, with few exceptions, have shaped their descrip tion of this community according to these ac counts, because they supposed that the Essenes are neither mentioned in the N. T. nor in the ancient Jewish writings, and hence some of them have been led to think that they originated in Egypt or Greece, or from an amalgamation of the philoso phic systems of both countries. Frankel has the honour of being the first who, in an accumulation of passages from the Talmud and Midrashim, has demonstratively shewn that Essenisms is simply an order of Pharisaism, that both are sections of the Chasidim or Assideans [CHamnln-1], and that all these three orders are frequently spoken of under the same name. That the Essenes are simply an order of Pharisaism is most distinctly stated in Aboth R. Nathan, c. xxxvii., where we are told that there are eight distinctions or orders among the Pharisees, and that those Pharisees who live in celibacy are the Essenes (t>re-1:n =Ant n ulnrin). This will, moreover, be seen from a comparison of the following practices, which Josephus describes as peculiar characteristics of the Essenes, with the practices of the Pharisees, as given in the Talmud and Midrashim : I. The Essenes had four classes of Levitical purity, which were so marked that a member of the upper class had to bathe himself when he touched anything belonging to the lower class, or when he came in contact with a stranger, so also the Phari sees (comp. Joseph. Bell. Yzid., ii. 8. to, with
Chagiga, ii. 7).
II. The Essenes regarded ten persons as con stituting a complete number for divine worship, and held the assembly of such a number as sacred ; so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. Jud., ii. 8. 9, with Aboth iii. 6 ; Berachoth 54, a).
III. The Essenes would not spit out in the presence of an assembly, or to the right hand ; so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. yhd., ii. S. 9, with yerte salon Berachoth, iii. 5).
IV. The Essenes regarded their social meal as a sacrament, so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. yud., 8. 5, with Berachoth 55, a).
V. The Essenes bathed before meals, so the Phari sees (comp. Bell. ii. 8. 5, with Chagiga 18, b).
VI. The Essenes put on an apron on the lower part of the body when bathing, the Pharisees covered themselves with the Talith (comp. Bell.
ii. 8. 5, with Berachoth 24, b).
VII. The Essenes bathed after performing the duties of nature, so the priests (comp. Bell. ii. 8. 9, with donna 28, a).
VIII. The Essenes abstained from taking oaths, Viii. The Essenes abstained from taking oaths, so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. dud., ii. 8. 6, with Shevuoth 39, b ; Gittin 35, a ; Bemidbar Rabba, c. xxii.) IX. The Essenes would not even remove a vessel on the Sabbath, so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. 2zia'., ii. 8. 9, with Tosifia Succa, iii.) X. The Essenes had a steward in every place where they resided, to supply the needy strangers of this order with articles of clothing and food, so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. dud., ii. 8. 4, with Peah viii. 7 ; Baba Bathra 8, a ; Sabbath 118).
XI. The Essenes believed that all authority comes from God, so the Pharisees (comp. Bell. yzrd., ii. 8. 7, with Berachoth 58, a).
XII. An applicant for admission to the order of the Essenes had to pass through a noviciate of twelve months, so the -cm among the Pharisees (comp. Bell. yud, ii. 8. 7, with Bechoroth 30, b).