―All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods
and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need‖. (Acts 2:45) (NRSV)
War 2.7.4 119-127 (see also Ant.18.2.5 18-22): ―The Essenes...are despisers of riches, and so very
communal as to earn our admiration. There is no one to be found among them who has more than another;
for they have a law that those who come to join them must let whatever they have be common to the whole
order, so that among them all there is no appearance of either poverty or excessive wealth. Everyone's
possessions are intermingled with every other's possessions; as if they were all brothers with a single
patrimony...
They have no one city, but in every city dwell many of them; and if any of the sect arrive from elsewhere, all
is made available to them as if it were their own; and they go to those they have never seen before as if long
acquaintances. Thus they carry nothing at all with them in their journeys, except weapons for defence
against thieves. Accordingly, in every city there is one appointed specifically to take care of strangers and to
provide them with garments and other necessities.
In their clothing and deportment they resemble children in fear of their teachers. They change neither their
garments nor their shoes until they are torn to pieces or worn out by time. They neither buy nor sell anything
to one another, but each gives what he has to whomever needs it, and receives in exchange what he needs
himself; and even if there is nothing given any return, they are allowed to take anything they want from
whomever they please‖.
The Essenes are not mentioned by name in the New Covenant. The similarities shown above between their
organisation and that of the apostles - holding possessions in common, simplicity of clothing, travelling from
town to town carrying almost nothing, and relying on finding welcome in a sympathetic house has led
scholars to theorise that Y‘shua had His origins possibly with the Essenes.
Bolstering this idea is Y‘shua‘s relationship with Yochanan the Immerser. The descriptions of Yochanan‘s
preaching in the desert and baptising in the Jordan River suggest to some scholars a connection to the
Essene community near the Dead Sea. The Essenes are also thought to be the authors of many of the Dead
Sea Scrolls, although not all scholars are convinced of this; in any case, the scrolls have shown many
affinities to the messianic concerns of the New Covenant.
Who were the Samaritans?
975 B.C. The history of the Samaritans begins with the rebellion against King Rehoboam, the son of King
Solomon and grandson of King David. Solomon had placed heavy taxation burdens upon them, but
Rehoboam attempted to make it even worse, saying: ―My little finger shall be thicker than my fathers loins... I
will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions‖. (1
Kings 12:10-14).
Many of the Israelites objected and followed a rebel leader called Jeroboam, who set up his kingdom in
Shechem and built altars for idolatrous worship in Bethel and Dan. At first, only the tribe of Judah remained
in Jerusalem; but then many of the fighting men of Benjamin joined them (1 Kings 12:20-21). Throughout the
remainder of the two books of Kings, the ten rebel tribes are called "Israel" and those who remained with
Rehoboam and his successors were called "Judah".
730 B.C. Hoshea began to reign as king of Israel; but Salmaneser, king of Assyria, invaded Samaria and
subjugated him—allowing him to rule for a while as a puppet king. Then the king of Assyria (probably Sargon
the son of Salmaneser) took Israel away into captivity. (2 Kings 17:1-6). It is likely that only a portion of them
were taken away, because the policy of the Assyrians at that time was to subjugate nations by taking away
the leaders and skilled workers from a number of different places and moving them around, creating
unworkable ethnic mixtures.
The same chapter tells how the king of Assyria brought men from a number of different places to Samaria,
but some of them were devoured by lions because they were worshipping their own gods. So they sent for
an Israelite priest to be brought back from captivity to teach them how to worship YHWH. They practiced
mixed worship by worshipping YHWH and also their own gods. (2 Kings 17:24-41).
The same policy of subjugation by ethnic mixture was practiced by the Babylonians and was inflicted on the
Judeans some time later. (2 Kings 24:14 and 25:12).
623 B.C. (approx.) Although there was enmity between the Israelites and Judeans, there was a time of
reconciliation during the days of Josiah, king of Judah. The Israelites who were left behind in Samaria were
allowed to join together with the Judeans in the celebration of Passover. (2 Chron 35:17-19).