Pinchas Shir
Associate Professor of Ancient Cultures
Pinchas Shir, Associate Professor of Ancient Cultures
Among Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Herodians, and others, the Essenes are not named by name in any of the New Testament books. But one can argue that despite that fact they are still present, and their presence leaves shadows in the New Testament texts. Who were these elusive Essenes? What did they believe? What set them apart from all other Jewish groups in the Second Temple period? Seeking answers to such questions, this course dives into the ancient texts: Pliny the Elder, Philo, Josephus, the works of Qumran Jews, and of course, the New Testament. What did the ancient writers think about Essenes? How did they describe themselves? Find out where one can see the shadows of Essenes in the New Testament!
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