An Essene Ecstatic Mystical Gathering | home
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Related Links
FROM:
Rabbi Monty Eliasov's
Website on Twelve Tribe Torah:
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The Essenes and their Message for Us Today
Prerequisite: none
Instructor: Rabbi Monty Eliasov
A one-session workshop on the Essene tradition. According to the prophet Jeremiah, the first recorded proto-Essenes were destined to inherit the covenant originally made with Israel and Judah; they were one of the first religious groups in the Western World to totally outlaw slavery; they helped shape both Jesus' ministry and the monastic traditions of the West; their descendants were a major source of inspiration for the prophet Muhammad; their mark is all over the spiritual community at Qumran; yet their own original name evaporated just like The Way which they taught and which Lao Tzu says can never itself be named! Who were these mysterious Essenes and are they still important to us today? We will review the literature to establish what we know and what we don't know about the Essenes. Ultimately, we will examine how it is nearlly impossible to understand the history of our shared religious heritage without first understanding the crucial role the Essenes played, because they redefined Torah in a way which ultimately inspired three new religions: modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
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