George Brooks notes:
>>I like your "pragmatic" thinking about whether the Essenes could
have really survived PURELY through adoption. I would think it is easy
to see that this IS unlikely.<<
The Shaker movement in the USA lasted for many years solely on the
basis of adoptions, as all sect members were celibate for life. They
died out as a movement when the social conditions that made membership
advantageous (the relative security of their communal residence and
full stomachs due to their successful business enterprises) and
adopt-able children plentiful (relatively short life expectancy
knocking off parents with large families) had started to change
radically.
In fact, there were many utopian societies in the USA, Canada, Russia
and elsewhere, which were willing to make sacrifices to establish a
little heaven on earth. One such group had established a colony about
80 miles from here, and they all took an oath of celibacy for seven
years in order not to tax the resources of the collective while
establishing the farms and infrastructure they would need to ensure
long term success (they did not achieve it, BTW).
Perhaps if DSS researchers would like to look at groups like this for
parallels they would see much that resembles the Essenes of the
ancient sources. Then again, there were other utopian groups, such as
Hutterites, which did survive, and they were (and are still now)
certainly *not* celibate. I will note that Hutterites (and other
non-celibate groups like Mennonites, Amish, etc.) usually thrive in
rural grain farm (i.e., agrarian) environments, while celibate
movements like the Shakers thrived in relatively developed areas,
often near commercial/industrial centers.
Could there be a similar connection to the origins of Essenes (as we
know them from classical sources, not the DSS, just to leave that
disagreement out of the discussion for now). Were Essenes essentially
rural/agrarian "farm" folk? Would tending palm trees (essentially,
being in the preserved food - date production - business), an
occupation which many people associate with Essenes, for instance, be
a "commercial" enterprise instead of "agrarian?"
Respectfully,
Dave Hindley
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
For private reply, e-mail to "David C. Hindley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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