The Hebrew scholar Christian Ginsburg gathers what ancient witnesses say about the Essenes, the Jewish order whose virtues impressed even Greek and Roman writers. He sets out and compares the testimony of Philo, Pliny, Josephus, Porphyry, Eusebius and others, then describes the sect’s admission rites, discipline, beliefs and possible links with early Christianity.
A compact scholarly study from long before the Dead Sea Scrolls, still a useful guide to the classical sources. Download the free EPUB.