Jesus and the Essene Movement--How Were They Related? An In Depth Conversation

In this extended conversation with Jacob Berman, host of Youtube @History-Valley channel, I explore in depth to what degree the the so-called "Essene movement," which most scholars associate with the group that wrote the Dead Sea sectarian scrolls, might be related to the John the Baptist/Jesus movement, that came 100 years later. I offer an overview of my on-line course, "Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls."

[JamesTaborVideos]

Hey everyone, who loves my Channel, or even if you hate it perhaps you have learned something valuable....disagreeing is part of freedom and true dialogue. I remain open...but PLEASE--I would like to hit 50, 000 subscribers today...so if you have not subscribed, would you consider doing so...if so thanks, and here is a virtual STAR for you: ⭐

[davashorb]

It's wonderful to be able to access these videos, as a run-of-the-mill non-academic pauper. Thanks so much, Dr. Tabor.

[ivorhirst]

Jesus and John the Bapist in Qumran meeting Essene's Community in AD 26, LOVE that thought

[donalddotson-cwll]

Thank you Dr Tabor for sharing your hard work, thoughts and knowledge to help to expand the judeo/christians scholarship. For the benefits of the struggling commoner masses. It helps the common man way more than any of you scholars will ever be able to fully realize.

[TomDavisAtSundown]

Dr. Tabor - Having taken both of your on-line classes, read most of your books, and watched many of your videos, I better understand and connect the events, times and places after your discussions like this one. I agree with your comment in a video that you like being interviewed by Jacob as he let's you talk...and his questions are well thought out and not just off the cuff. I appreciate your comments about Dr. Ehrman's books. I have read several of them and find his knowledge and insights impressive and his sometimes dry wit entertaining. For those of you who wonder about the Zoom meetings James mentioned, know that I have attended all of them. Each one was great and expanded what I learned in the course. In many ways, they are like going to the coffee shop after a lecture with the prof and hearing him/her chat about the subject.

[billcook]

I took your class. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been reading about the Dead Sea scrolls and the group for several years.

The takeaway I'm getting is that, this group came around during the maccabean period and probably shared their message with others. Then I see the John the Baptist group coming in and changing the message a little. Then the Jesus movement coming into their place. Each group kind of building and changing the message slightly to accommodate their end of the world predictions.

Thank you Dr Tabor.

[jfk_]

Mr. Tabor it’s always wonderful to hear your thoughts and explanations on ancient subject ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[fgcbrooklyn]

Top notch, as usual. He is one of the best lecturers I can think of, and not just about biblical studies. The delivery is impeccable and the content is reliably well organized and laid out in a linear and logical way. His deductions and conclusions follow directly from the premises he establishes at the beginning of each argument. It's a pleasure to watch. I am also following his series on prophecies: excellent in every respect.

[rongoins]

I'm in Waco watching a nascent Koresh movement 30 years after the siege and fire. So many parallels ...

[mrlume]

Quester is definitely a way I would describe myself. After reading your book, The Jesus Dynasty, my interest was sprarked, and now I'm really delving into the 1st century Judea history. Thank you so much.

[michaelsintef]

Dr. Tabor, I took the DSS class and found it fascinating. I missed all the zoom meetings so far, but I do catch them afterwards .I just want to go on record that I would readily sign up for an advanced course if you ever do offer it. Thank you for all you do.

[Wayfarer-sd]

Though more sensed than clearly understood, the hidden substrate underpinning Judaism, Christianity and the Salt Sea group under discussion, was, and is, the philosophy or following called The Way (הדרך), though in variant form.

The reason why Jesus' teachings were more practical and relaxed than that of the Pharisees and Scribes of his time, was that he knew that the teachings of his forerunners, including those of the original Torah, had long been subsumed into a dogmatic religious form by his time. This is why he said, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Rest days were originally made, or most likely evolved, for practical reasons, as everyone needed to look after things other than being a slave to a perpetual cycle of work, particularly where physical labor was involved. By dogmatizing such practical logic, and making it the supposed edict of a god who spoke through priesthood intermediaries, the essential idea became 'law', with all its rigidity, attendant taboos and latent poor judgment, by which the populace could be influenced, and often socially controlled, by those priesthoods, often for their sole benefit.

Religion fundamentally concerns itself with dogmas, but as all things change, dogma is by its nature restrictive, and therefore unfit for purpose, as it often gives rise to harm where appropriate action should be taken, as in the case mentioned by Dr. Tabor, where it says, in Matthew 12:11 - He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?"

Logic would dictate that one should remove the sheep from the pit, though unreasonable thinking and rote and foolish observance would tend towards the contrary. The rest is history, unfortunately for man, yet the logic of The Way remains the same to this day, like unto the force of truth: eternal.

The Way existed before its name, and from its name the opposites evolved, giving rise to three divisions, and then to names abundant, yet of the same root. The three forms are, The Way, that which is not The Way, and that which is like unto The Way. הדרך חיה

[williambranch]

There is an obvious relationship perhaps indirect between the Essenes, John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth, James the Righteous and Paul of Tarsus. Keep going ;-)

[gettended]

I think Mary was an Essene and so was Elizabeth and that’s why the Messiah came through their wombs and so did His voice crying out

[dadsonworldwide]

Great work James! These works are absolutely phenomenal and amazing they identify the first temple & 2nd splits and how they really occur. But it can get some upset with how much comes out of Assyrian beliefs that gets adopted in 2nd temple period. .
and as someone who has followed James career for, idk 35 years if your catholic, Jewish, orthodoxy you'd prolly rather learn this from James and the critical textual critique perspective but those who typically study these online do so with alogorical, symbolic, and synonymous projects where their own epistemology will obviously influence translations.

James definitely would teach it with a compassionate aware approach

[quantumphinix]

"The temple is a den of thieves, the temple is corrupt" haha timeless

[angelablandjustice]

Thank you very much for your teaching and videos, James. ❤

[emzxpbp]

Thank you Dr. Tabor for pointing out the nuance in the Gospels, this world, and the world to come. So it is not entirely spiritual. Some aspects of the kingdom are still worldly, and therefore seditious from a Roman point of view.

[TalpiotTombInvestigator]

Oh yes, also, If you look at the angle of the entrance/exit of the Talpiot tomb(with out the apartment blocks), it seems to me that the Tomb faces SW pointing in the direction just slight north of the lowest sunset on 22Dec, more specifically where the sun would set 25Dec on the SW Horizon. Since the Talpiot Hill is the premire site nearest Jerusalem that one can clearly see the sunset in the SW at this point. I use to live in Talpiot and you can go to the top of the Talpiot hill around this time and see the sunset in the same direction the sun is setting

[jamespaulfletcher]

This is more coherent than listening to the full interview.