As contact with an}- one who did not practise their self-imposed Levitical laws of purit}', or with anything belonging to such a one, rendered them impure, tlio Essenes were, in the course of time, obliged to with- draw altogether from general society, to form a sepi- rate communitj'^, and live apart from the world. Th?.'i- manner of life and practices were mjst simple and selt- denying. They chiefly occupied themselves with till- ing the ground, tending flocks, rearing bees, and mak- ing the articles of food and dress required by the com- munity (as it was contrar}- to their la-.vs of Levitical purity to get anything from one who did not belong to the society), as well as with healing the sick, and study- ing the mysteries of nature and revelation. Whatever they possessed was deposited in the general treasury, of which there were appointed b}^ the whole fraternity several m magers, who supplied therefrom the wants of every one, so that they had all things in common ; hence there were no distinctions amongst them of rich and poor, or of masters and servants. They repro- bated slavery and war, and would not even manufac- ture martial instruments. They rose before the' sun, and did not talk about any worldly matters till they had all assembled together and offered up their na- tional prayer for the renewal of the light of the day ("j'nxs niX'an), whereupon they dispersed to their respective engagaments, according to the directions of the overseers, till the fiftli hour, or eleven o'clock, when the labor of the forenoon terminated, and all re- assembled, had a baptism in cold water, after which they put on their wliitc garments, entered their refec- tory witli as much religious solemnity as if it were the holy Tcmiile, sat down together in mysterious silence to a common meal, wliich had the cliaracter of a sac- rament—and may be the reason why they did not offer sacrhices in the Temple— the baker" placed before each one a little loaf of bread, and the cook a dish of the most simple food, the priest invoked God's" blessing upon the repast, and concluded witli thanks to the Bountiful Sui)plicr of all on-r wants. This was the signal of their dismissal, when all withdrew, put off
their sacred garments, and resumed their several em- ploj'ments till the evening, when they again partook of a common meal. Such was their manner of life during the week. On the Sabbath, which they ob- served with the utmost rigor, and on which they were more especially instructed in their distinctive ordi- nances, Philo tells us, "They frequent the sacred places which are called sj'nagogues, and there they sit, ac- cording to their age, in classes, the younger sitting be- low the elder in becoming attire, and listening with eager attention. Then one takes up the holy volume and reads it, whilst another of the most experienced ones expounds, omitting that which is not generally known ; for they philosophize on most tilings in sym- bols, according to the ancient zeal" {Quod omnis prob. lib. sec. xii). The study of logic and metaphysics they regarded as injurious to a devotional life. They were governed by a president, who was chosen by the whole bodj', and who also acted as judge. In cases of trial, however, the majority of the community, or at least a hundred members of it, were required to constitute the tribunal, and the brother who walked disorderly '.ras excommunicated, yet he was not regarded as an ene- ni}', but was admonished as a brother, and received back after due repentance.
As has already been remarked, the Essenes gener- ally were celibates ; their ranks had therefore to be recruited from the children of the Jewish community at large, whom they carefully trained for this holy and ascetic order. Previous to his flnal admission, the candidate for the- order had to pass through a novitiate of two stages. Upon entering the first stage, which lasted twelve montlis, the novice (^I'toavararoi;') had to cast in all his possessions into the common treasury, and received a spade (cKaXig, a^ti^apioi' = 'ir^) to bury the excrement (compare Deut. xxiii, 12-15), an apron (7rfpt'2w/(o = '"^'m), used at the baptisms, and a white robe to put on at meals, which were the symbols of puritj^, and, though still an outsider, he had to observe some of the ascetic rules of the society. If, at the close of this stage, the communitj' found that he had properly acquitted himself during the probationary year, the novice was then admitted into the second stage, which lasted two years. During this period he was admitted to a closer fellowship with the brother- hood, and shared in their lustral rites, but was still excluded from the common meals. Having passed satisfictorily through the second stage of probation, the novice was then fully received into the community (f/f TOP oj.uXoi''), when he bound Iiimself by awful oaths (the only occasion on which they allowed swearing) "that, in the first place, he M'ill exercise piety towards God ; and then that he will observe justice towards all men ; and that he will do no harm to an}' one, either of his own accord or by the command of others ; that he will always hate the wicked, and help the right- eous ; that he will ever be faithful to all men, espe- cially his rulers, for witliout God no one comes to be ruler, and that if he should lie ruler himself he will never be overbearing, nor endeavor to outshine those he rules either in his garments or in finery ; that he will alwaji's love truth, and convince and reprove those that lie ; that he will keep his hand from staal- in_', and his soul clear from any unjust gain ; that he will not conceal anything from the members of his so- ciety, nor communicate to any one their mysteries, not even if he should be forced to it at the hazard of his life ; and, finally, that he will never deliver the doc- trines of the Essenes to any one in any other manner than he received them himself; that he will abstain from all species of robber}-, and carefully preserve the books belonging to their sect and the names of the angels" {War, ii, 8, 7). Tiiis last expression refers to the secrets connected with the Tetragrammnton (UO "C^IS -H), and the other names of God and the angels comprised in the theosophy (n23"15a ncy^}, and to