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Jubilees, Qumran, and the Essenes
The Essenes dig a hole with their personal shovels to bury excretions,^36
whereas the Temple Scroll and the War Rule order the building of perma
nent latrines. There is no evidence in the scrolls of an implement similar to
the shovel that every Essene receives when he enters the sect and carries with
him wherever he goes.^37 As A. Baumgarten noted, the different practices
represent different perceptions of the body.
Each of these differences in practices and taboos may be explained by
the incomplete information of Josephus or Philo, as outsiders, by their indi
vidual biases, their Gentile audience, or the differences between individual
local communities in different places and different periods of time.^38 How
ever, it is difficult to explain away such a series of discrepancies concerning
different issues related to taboos and social structure, which are extremely
sensitive and meaningful in sectarian organizations.
One interesting Essene phenomenon that is at odds with the Qumran
scrolls is Essene public prophecies and political involvement. Judas the
Essene predicts that Antigonus the Hasmonean will be killed at Strato's
Tower.^39 When Herod is young, Menahem predicts that he will be king of the
Jews, and when Herod rules, Menahem predicts that he will reign for twenty
or thirty more years but refuses to specify the precise length of his reign.^40
Simon interprets Archelaus's dream correctly, and predicts that his reign will
soon come to an end.^41 In these instances, I suggest, the Essenes use their
competence to foresee the future in order to attain social power and perhaps
also to draw the attention of potential converts.
While several documents from Qumran attest to the belief that mem
bers (and particularly the Teacher of Righteousness) are able to reveal future
events through divine revelation and interpretation of the words of the
prophets,^42 the Qumranic predictions are general and refer to the End of
36. Josephus, Jewish War 2.148-149. Cf. 5.145.
37. A I. Baumgarten, "The Temple Scroll, Toilet Practice, and the Essenes," Jewish History
10 (1996): 9-20. Note that the Temple Scroll and the War Rule rules are Utopian documents. One
may question whether the yahad and the Damascus Covenant actually followed them.
38. A. Dupont-Sommer, The Essene Writings from Qumran, trans. G. Vermes (Cleve
land and New York: World Publishing Company, 1962), 66-67; I- Strugnell, "Flavius Josephus
and the Essenes: Antiquities XVIII.18-22," JBL 77 (1958): 106-15; G. Vermes, The Dead Sea
Scrolls, Qumran in Perspective, rev. ed. (London: SCM, 1994), 115-17.
39. Josephus, Jewish War 1.78-80.
40. Josephus, Ant 15.371-379.
41. Josephus, Jewish War 2.312-313; Ant 17.345-348.
42. For the general identification of these prophecies with the pesherim, see Beall,
Josephus' Description, 110-11.
