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The Ancient Essenes were said to have received their original teachings from Enoch, the prophet who"...walked with God, and he was not, for God took him."(Genesis 5:24) Enoch managed to escape death and ascend directly into heaven. Dr Edmond Szekely in his book, "The Teachings of the Essenes: From Enoch to the Dead Sea Scrolls," states the connection between the Essenes and Enoch: "The origin of the Essene brotherhood is said to be unknown...Some believe it comes from Esnoch, or Enoch, and claim him to be their founder..." The Essenes were also an important sect during the time of Moses and the Ten Commandments. "The Children of Light," as they were referred to at that time, received the holy, pure, (esoteric) teachings from God through Moses--these teachings were meant for all people originally, but when Moses first decended from Mt. Sinai and saw the people worshiping the "golden calf" and offering "burnt offerings," he sought guidance from God, and climbed Mt. Sinai a second time--the Ten Commandments were the result of his second meeting with God, and these he gave to the Israelites; but the original, esoteric teachings were meant for the "Children of Light" only, and these Moses gave to them (from The Book of Moses). This sect did stay "pure" to these Teachings. As time passed on, the promise of the Messiah was at last full-filled by the birth and life of Yahshua (Jesus), the Nazarene Essene. John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, was also Essene, but belonged to a different monastic order. For a moment, John did not recognize his cousin, Jesus, in the River Jordan, but then did realize "Whom" he was baptizing.. This was the One he had foretold of, in fulfillment of his own prophecy: "the one who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandles I am not worthy to untie; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16). Jesus' name has many spellings: Yahshua, Yeshua, Yahowshua,Y'shua, Yahoshua, and more. After the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Yahshua into heaven, his earthly followers, (his brother James being the head of this group), fled into Gileaditis, after James too was murdered. Hellinistic Christianity eventually became the ruling power by 4th century A.D. The Essene Nazareans became one of several other "Jewish-Christian" groups who did not follow first, Hellinistic Christianity, then, the Catholic Church of Rome. By 323 A.D, the Nazareans had already fled and were reappearing in South Upper Egypt. From this point on, their trail becomes harder to trace. By 364 A.D, the Church decreed "death" for any "Jewish-Christian" who observed the 7th day Sabbath. The Nazareans, for obvious reasons, sought obscurity to hide from religious persecution by those that had claimed "One of their own", as their Savior and Lord. However, in light of this knowledge that was covered up and hidden from society for almost 2000 years, we can now once again know the Truth... The One Truth... according to Yahshua, from the Gospel of the Holy Twelve, Lection XC, translated by Rev. G. Ousely : "The One Truth hath many sides, and one seeth one side only, another seeth another, and some see more than others, according to how it is given to them. Behold this crystal: how the one light is manifest in twelve faces; yea, four times twelve, and each face reflectth one ray of light, and one regardth one face, and another, another; but it is the crystal and the one light that shineth in all..." We may all view Yeshua and religion differently, as we each view different "facets" of the "crystal of truth." However, each of us is a "spark" of the Divine, this is what Yahshua wanted us to recognize in one another. Today, we can still read and learn from these various forgotten manuscripts, follow the Essene philosophy, live a vegetarian lifestyle, learn the True Teachings of Yahshua meditate/contemplate/pray/& fast. We can reach out to others, be helpful and kind...If you are interested in learning more about the Essene Way of Life...please read on...click on the links (below the butterflies) to find out about the daily communions (contemplations/meditations). Another link is to the Essene Sevenfold Peace, which reveals the Essene Way to peace and harmony in life...And several more links about the Essenes... |