CASteinman Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 http://calba-savua.b...nd-essenes.htmlI don't have a problem with the idea that he was essene or raised with Essenes prior to his mission. But when he was out by himself -- that's not Essene. As the article you quote mentions: "Otto Betz proposed that John the Baptist grew up in the Essene community, but left it to act as a prophet, preaching repentance to the wider Jewish community."While I don't have a problem with it, I also do not think it is necessary that John the Baptist was ever Essene either. Either way, I don't believe he was Essene when we read about him in the Bible or the D&C.
CASteinman Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) Volgodon knows this subject much better than I could ever hope to so I'll defer to him.As a side note, I think the relatively recent discovery of the Mandean people/religion in Iraq is incredible. I hope that their diaspora, caused by the Iraq War, will not make them extinct. True descendants of those who never relinquished John the Baptist as prophet. Remarkable.It would not seem that Mandean beliefs are an obvious descendant or outgrowth from what we understand of Essene beliefs.They seem more mystical minded than the literal minded Essenes. They also are not celibate. And though they are a sort of closed group they are not really the total isolationists that Essenes were. On the other hand, they do not sacrifice animals -- which is a pretty big deal to me and that alone is a possible connection, that I think would survive.I am certain that however John the Baptist was raised, he was clearly an enemy to the Temple protectors because, although he was a Levite and had the authority, and was engaging in mikveh ritual in the right kinds of waters, he was doing this outside of the Temple and without other Temple Ordinances. This would be subversive. Edited April 23, 2013 by CASteinman
CASteinman Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 Also, insight into the Essene community *may* help us better understand John the Baptist.That is a fair point.
bananaboy Posted April 23, 2013 Posted April 23, 2013 I couldn't get the link to work...any suggestions on how to obtain your document?Please try again. The link just worked for me. Thanks
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