therefore to read, any books other than those of Scripture. On the other
hand, the prohibition may have extended only to the public reading of
these books as part of the lectionary. In this case, it would be permitted to
read such books privately. Such an approach would explain the use of Ben
Sira by the rabbis.
An interesting example of the indirect influence of Second Temple
books on the rabbis comes in their fundamental agreement with a theme
central to the book ofJubilees,that the patriarchs observed all of the laws
later to be given at Sinai. Apparently, this notion was part of the common
heritage of Second Temple Judaism and was taken up by some rabbis.
Numerous sectarian groups are in fact mentioned in rabbinic litera-
ture. These groups, however, while apparently practicing modes of piety
similar to those known from the Dead Sea Scrolls, seem in no way to be
identifiable with the specific literary works of the Second Temple period.
Rather, it appears that the later rabbis were aware of the general nature of
Judaism in the period before 70c.e.Indeed, they blamed the phenomenon
of sectarianism for the disunity that led to the destruction of Jerusalem
and the Temple. However, none of the reports that they preserve can be di-
rectly associated with the textual materials from Second Temple times. We
can only assume, again, that they did not or would not read these texts.
The sect of the Essenes is not mentioned by name in rabbinic litera-
ture. Attempts to identifythe Essenes with the Boethusians(baytôsînor
baytûsîn)have failed to garner significant support because of the philolog-
ical difficulties involved. While it is possible that some practices of the
Essene sect might be described somewhere in rabbinic literature, it is more
likely that the Essenes described by Philo and Josephus shared the
Sadducean-type halakic tradition polemicized against in rabbinic texts.
One area in which rabbinic literature provides fruitful parallels to sec-
tarian organization is the system of entry into the sect and the close link be-
tween purity law and sectarian membership. A similar system was in effect
for thehavurah,a small group that practiced strict purity laws, extending
Temple regulations into private life even for non-priests. Scholarly litera-
ture has tended to associate this group with the Pharisees, most probably
correctly, but the textual evidence seems to separate these terms. In any
case, the detailed regulations pertaining to entering thehavurah(m. Dem.
2:3-4;t. Dem.2:2–3:4) are more closely parallel to the initiation rites of the
Qumran sect (1QS 6:13-23) than they are to the descriptions of the Essenes
in Josephus, with which they also share fundamental principles.
Some practices typical of the Qumran sect are indeed mentioned in422lawrence h. schiffmanEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:04:19 PM