Scrolls Show Christianity Before Christianity example essay topic

The scrolls today have become an important part of our understanding of the bible, but to understand the scrolls, you have to understand the people that wrote them. In 130 BC, people scientists called the Dead Sea Sect inhabited the Qumran caves. Through research and archeological exploration of the caves and their ways, Scientist believe that the Dead Sea Sect are really known as the ancient group of Hebrews called the Essenes. They were part of a Jewish apocalyptic movement that was awaiting the end of days.

The Essene community was totally different from other Jewish communities in many ways. They observed laws of ritual purity; they felt that their group was the only right group, and that any non-member was unclean. First of all there way of life was the most important. They did everything communally, or in a group for a laymen term, they prayed together, ate together, basically just did everything together. Along with that they followed a strict observance of the purity laws of the torah; they had a strong sense of mutual responsibility; studied sacred scriptures everyday as well as make sacrifices on holy days.

They also attributed everything that happened to fate. The idea of fate and destiny was brought about their belief in the end of days, they believed: They believed that God had decreed not only the end but also the division of mankind into two antagonistic camps called the sons of light and the sons of darkness lead by a superhuman prince of light and an angel of darkness. Respectively reference is also made to the spirit of truth and spirit of perverseness which are given to mankind. Of these, each person receives his portion in accordance with which he is either righteous or wicked; between these two categories God has set eternal enmity which would cease only in the end of days with the destruction of the spirit of perversion and the purification of the righteous form, its influence. Then the sons of the spirit of truth would receive their reward.

The true believing Essenes believed that marriage was wrong and that the only way to reach purity with god was to practice celibacy. So there were not that many women in the Essene community; however, the second tier Essenes were able to get married and engage in sexual acts. In fact scientists believe that Joseph and Mary were really Essenes. Joseph was a second tier Essenes, he married Mary and had a baby named Jesus which would rule out the fact of a virgin birth in the sense of not engaging in sexual activities to produce a child.

This is what some scientist believed, but is not truly proven with evidence. The Essenes were different from all the rest, but their writing of the thousands of scrolls helped changed the way we view the origins and beliefs of Christianity. The Dead Sea Scrolls have come to make us question the true meaning of our bible. Even though the scrolls have found to be most similar to our modern day Bible. There are still many discrepancies as there are similarities. The Scrolls interest both Jews and Catholics because it shows a non-rabbinic form of Judaism, and contain many important parallels to Christianity in the times of Jesus.

Scientists say that the scrolls show Christianity before Christianity. The Messianic Rule scroll is interesting because it show certain aspect of Christianity. In the scroll it says, When they shall gather for common table, the priest shall bless the first of the fruits of bread and wine. Thereafter the Messiah of Israel shall extend his hand over the bread an and all the congregation of the community under a blessing. The quote is most similar to the sacraments that we find today in church prayer. The Bread and wine both a symbolic of the blood of Jesus, and the body of Jesus.

And upon taking these sacraments the priest says a prayer over them blessing them in god presence. This perplexity confuses scientists about the origins of Christianity and the idea of Jesus starting the Christian movement.