Jessaeans. According to Epiphanius, the first dis- tinctive appellation of Christians was 'Itfrfffuoi, Jessa> ans, but it is doubtful from whom the title was derived, or in what sense it was applied. Some suppose it was from Jesse, the father of David; others (and with far greater probability of accuracy) trace it to the name of the Lord Jesus. Philo is known to have written a work on the first Church of St. jMark at Alexandria, which he himself entitled vrtpl 'li(juaiuiv, which is now extant under the title of Trfoi ftiov ^ttonrjriKoti (of the contem- plative life), and so is cited by Eusebius even : Jerome, however, knew the work intimately, and for this reason gave Philo a place in his list of ecclesiastical writers. Eusebius also mentions the name Jessccatis as a distinc- tive appellation of the early Christians. Comp. Bing- ham, Antiq. bk. i, ch. i, § 1 ; Riddle, Christian Antiqui- ties, \x\ii\.
Jes'se (Heb. rwArt/y', "^d^, perhaps /?7)?, otherwise living; once ''"4'IS:, Ishay', either by prosthesis, or manly, 1 Chron. ii, 13 ; Sept. and N. T. 'If (Tirai ; Josephus 'Ita- (yaioQ, Ant. vi, 8, 1), a son (or descendant) of Obed, the son of Boaz. and Ruth (Ruth iv, 17, 22 ; Matt, i, 5, 6 ; Luke iii, 32 ; 1 Chron. ii, 12). He was the father of eight sons (1 Sam. xvii, 12), from the youngest of whom, David, is reflected all the distinction which belongs to the name, although the latter, as being of humble birth, was often reproached by his enemies with this pa- rentage (1 Sam. XX, 27, 30, 31 ; xxii, 7, 8 ; xxv, 10; 2 Sam. XX, 1 ; 1 Kings xii, 16 ; 2 Chron. x, 16). " Stem of Jesse!'' is used poetically for the family of David (Isa. xi, 1), and '■'■Root [i. e. root-shoot, or sprout from the stump, i. q. scion\ ofJessr" for the ^Messiah (Isa. xi, 10 ; Rev. v, 5 ; comp. xxii, 16). He seems to have been a person of some note and substance at Bethlehem, his |iroperty be- ing chiefly in sheep (1 Sam. xvi, 1, 11 ; xvii, 20; comp. Psa. Ixxviii, 71). It would seem from 1 Sam. xvi, 10,
JESSE
865
JESUITS
that he must have been aware of the high destinies which awaited his son, but it is doubtl'ul if he ever lived to see them reaUzcd (see 1 Sam. xvii, 12). The last historical mention of Jesse is in relation to the asylum which David procured for him with the kin>{ of Moab (1 Sam. xxii, 3), B.C. cir. 1068-lOGl. Sec David.
"According to an ancient Jewish tradition, recorded ill the Targum on 2 Sam. xxi, 19, Jesse was a weaver of the vails of the sanctuary; but as there is no contradic- tion, so there is no corroboration of this in the lUble, and it is possiljle that it was suggested by the occurrence of the word ore^iw, 'weavers,' in connection with a member of his family. See Jaaue-Oregiji. Who the wife of Jesse was we are not told. The family contained, in addition to the sons, two female members — Zeruiah and Abigail ; but it is uncertain whether these were Jesse's daughters, for, though they are called the sisters of his sons (1 Chron. ii, 1(5), yet Abigail is said to have been the daughter of Nahash (2 Sam. xvii, 25). Of this, two explanations have been proposed. (1.) The Jewish : that Nahash was another name for Jesse (.Jerome, Qucest. Jlehr. on 2 Sam. xvii, 25, and the Targum on Kuth iv, 22). (2.) Prof. Stanley's : that Jesse's wife had formerly been wife or concubine to Nahash, possibly the king of the Ammonites (Jewish Chureh, ii, 50, 51)" (Smith). See Naiiasii.
Jesse, Tree of, in ecclesiastical arcliitecture, is a representation of the genealogy of Ciirist on scrolls of foliage so arranged as to represent a tree, and was quite a common subject for sculpture, painting, and embroid- ery. In ancient churches, the candlesticks often took this form, and was therefore called a Jesse. See Parker, 6' /(>.«.-.■. .1 iv/iit. s. V. ; Walcott, Sacred A rchceology, p. 333.
Jes'sue ('lacraouE v. r. '\r](Tovi and 'iTjffor'c, 1 Esdr. V, 2(i), or Je'su ('Ij/fTorr, 1 Esdr. viii, 03), corrupt forms (see Ezra ii. 10; viii, :'>.!) of the name of Jesiiua (q. v.).
JESU is likcwisr u.^til in modern poetry for the name of Jesus, our Saviour, especially as a vocative or geni- tive.
Jesuates, a monastic order, so called because its members frequently pronounced the nanic of Jesus. The founders were John of Colombuii,gonfaloni('rc, and Fran- els iNIino Yincentini of Sienna. This institution was confirmed by Urban V in the year 13G8, and continued till the seventeenth century, when it was suppressed by Clement IX. The persons belonging to it jirofessed poverty, and adhered to the institute of Augustine. They were not, however, admitted to holy orders, but professed to assist tlio poor with their prayers and other offices, and jireiKinil nxMlicine for them, which they dis- tributed gratuitously : wi' lind them, for that reason, call- ed sometimes Ajw^tullc Clerks. They were also known as the Com)re(jaiion of Saint Hieronymus, their patron. Having become largely interested in the distillery of brandies, etc., they were by the people called Padri dell aqua vitce. A female order of the same name, and a branch of the male order, was founded by Catharina Colombina. They still continue to exist in Italy as a branch organization of the Augustinian order. See Hcr- zog, Real-Enci/l-lop. s. v. ; Farrar, /uxlesiast. Dirt. p. 340 ; IIily<it. fi'isc/iichte d. Kljster und Ritterorden, iii, 484 sq.