1. essene - Noun
2. essene - Adjective
One of a sect among the Jews in the time of our Savior, remarkable for their strictness and abstinence.
Source: Webster's dictionaryAs points out, the Essene hypothesis seemed to heighten a Christian “anxiety of influence” – an anxiety based on the fact that Christianity originated within Judaism. Source: Internet
Many of the Essene groups appear to have been celibate, but Josephus speaks also of another "order of Essenes" that observed the practice of being engaged for three years and then becoming married. Source: Internet
Broshi, a long time supporter of the Essene theory, also notes that many of the inhabitants of Qumran would have lived in the caves where the scrolls were found, much as Byzantine-era monks lived in similar caves in other parts of the Judean desert. Source: Internet
One of the most vigorous critics of the Essene connection, University of Chicago historian Norman Golb, told MSNBC.com that the latest report from Tabor and Zias “does nothing” to prove that the Essenes lived and worked in Qumran. Source: Internet
I realized I hadn’t been cleansed since I’d gone to the ritual bath of the Essene women. Source: Internet
James became the Magabakeer (Essene name for Bishop). Source: Internet