Autor: Eloisa Lima | Publicado: 2011-10-01T13:06:00-07:00

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                                                Ben Finger, Jr. 
     Reprinted from the Rosicrucian Digest, Vol. 34, No.10 (October 1956), pages 368-371 

          osicrucians, like people all over the world,     Covenant, the ideology of the contemporaries  
          were  fascinated  by  the  discovery  of  the    of Christ and the early church. If the Essenes  
          Dead  Sea  Scrolls  and  the  revelations        were the Qumran sect that used the Scrolls,  
about Judaism and by extension, the context of             as seems probable, we have a clue to the long- 
early Christianity which they afforded. This early         hidden Essenian Mysteries. An international  
offering from the Rosicrucian Digest is a good             group  of  responsible  scholars  is  grappling  
summary of the scholarship and opinions of the             with  the  new  problems  of  religious  history,  
day, adapted for modern readers.                           textual criticism, and exegesis. A good friend  
     It was in February or March 1947 that an              of  mine,  who  recently  visited  the  Palestine  
innocent  Bedouin  boy  (Muhammed  adh-                    Museum at Jerusalem, was informed by the  
Dhib)  walked  about  in  the  rocky,  sterile             scholars there that it might take twenty-five  
Qumran  region  at  the  northern  end  of  the            or  thirty  years  longer  to  uncover  the  full  
Dead Sea. He was simply looking for a lost                 meaning of the abundant manuscript finds.  
sheep. But when he entered a cave in the cliffs                 By  this  time,  practically  everyone  has  
to the west of the famous body of water, he                become acquainted with the Dead Sea Scrolls  
was    surprised     to    find    some     rolled-up      through   front-page   headlines,   articles   in  
manuscripts within tall clay jars.                         popular magazines and learned journals, and  
     The  lad  had  no  idea  of  their  age  and          books  adapted  to  all  types  of  readers.  Our  
value.  Neither  had  some  of  the  authorities           understanding        of    the    Bible    is   being  
who examined them. But now [1956], after                   revolutionized, and a thousand interpretations  
nearly  a  decade  of  scientific  research,  the          will have to be rewritten. But we must be on  
Dead     Sea    Scrolls   have     been    dated    by     guard  against  hysterical  enthusiasm  on  the  
paleography, and by laboratory analyses of the             one side, and closed-minded partisan bias on  
leather,   the   carbon   ink,   and   the   linen         the  other.  Many  ultra-orthodox  Christians  
wrappings.  We  know  beyond  a  doubt  that               stubbornly refuse to modify their view of the  
the    recovered     manuscripts      were    written      originality of Christ, and no few Jews shudder  
during the significant historical period from              to be reminded of the fluidity of their religion  
about  300  CE  to  68  or  70  BCE.  Most                 before official norms were codified after the  
scholars   now   agree   with   Dr.  William   F.          destruction      of   the    temple.    Only      with  
Albright,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  that           disinterested scholarship can we do justice to  
here is the “greatest manuscript discovery of              a message that promises to yield a new growth  
modern  times.”  Edmund  Wilson  calls  the                of inter-faith understanding. 
Dead      Sea    Scrolls    “the    most     precious           Here we are chiefly concerned with the  
discoveries of their kind since the texts of the           deeper philosophical secrets of the Dead Sea  
Greek and Latin classics brought to light in               Scrolls—the quest for divine gnosis, salvation  
the Renaissance.”1                                         through participation in the One Good, the  

     Already we have a new understanding of                attainment of mystic union, the ideal of the  
the last three centuries before Christ and the             spiritual community, Providence, the “periods  
first  century  CE—the  cross-pollination  and             of God.” The sect of the Scrolls had Essenian  
variety     of    pre-Christian      Judaism,      the     ideas and ways—the same sympathy for the  
development  of  Jewish  theology  and  of  the            poor,     the    same     love    of    purity     and  
Hebrew  language,  the  source  of  the  New               righteousness. The new Scrolls and fragments  

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                connect with the inter-testamental Apocrypha               and  Far  East.  They  held  their  goods  in  
                to    show     us   the    gradual    evolution     of     common, abstained from predatory habits of  
                Christianity as the flowering of a great ethical-          life, and were strict pacifists until Jerusalem  
                spiritual movement.                                        was  threatened.  Contemplation  was  their  
                     Thousands of scholars, since the time of              avenue of illumination and union with God.  
                Karl  Barth,  have  been  convinced  that  Jesus           They  philosophized  regarding  choice  and  
                was an Essene. Now we know with certainty                  destiny,  occasionally  foresaw  the  future  in  
                that Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, and             extrasensory  precognition,  served  as  tutors  
                “the  metaphysical  John”  echoed  or  at  least           and   healers,   and   employed   the   “magic”  
                strikingly  paralleled  the  documents  of  the            powers  of  the  mind  and  the  will  for  the  
                Qumran sect. The discovery of the Scrolls has              general good. They hoped and prepared for  
                filled  a  puzzling  gap  in  religious  history.          a  Messiah  to  establish  the  Kingdom  of  
                Christianity        was                                                                  Heaven on earth, a  
                no    sudden      comet                                                                 paradise of purified  
                shining against dark                  “Here we are chiefly concerned                     soul-personalities. 
                night,   but   it   had            with the deeper philosophical secrets                      One of the Dead  
                a  long  preparation,             of the Dead Sea Scrolls—the quest for                  Sea  Scrolls  holds  a  
                and        was       the              divine gnosis, salvation through                  passage  which  only  
                masterpiece of a long               participation in the One Good, the                   an   Essene      could   
                cumulative growth.                 attainment of mystic union, the ideal                have written:  
                     Before     we   get                of the spiritual community,                           “And none shall  
                through      with    the             Providence, the ‘periods of God’ ”                  be abased below his  
                Dead Sea Scrolls and                                                                     appointed     position  
                fragments, be it also                                                                    or exalted above his  
                noted,     the   Hebrew       Scriptures     will   be     allotted  place;  for  they  shall  all  be  in  true  
                reconstructed      from     the    earliest   known        community and good humility and loyal love  
                sources, and thus will come closer than ever               and righteous thought, each for his fellow in  
                to  the  original  text.  Hardly  a  chapter  will         the holy council, and they shall be Sons of the  
                remain   unchanged.  Those   thirteen   slight             Eternal Assembly.” 
                changes   of   Isaiah   in   the   recent   Revised             The  Scrolls  were  found  in  the  region  
                Standard Version Bible are just a beginning!               where  the  Essenes  are  known  to  have  had  
                New Light on the Essenes                                   their  headquarters,  and  archeologists  have  
                     Jeremiah and Isaiah pioneered the New                 found  meaningful  remains  of  a  monastery  
                Covenant,   and   the   Qumran   community                 there. We are almost sure that the Qumran  
                developed      it.   There    are   many     parallels     sect was Essene, if only because there would  
                between the reborn literature of the Qumran                not  have  been  room  for  another  group  in  
                sect and what we have learned of the Essenes               that vicinity. 
                from the rabbinic literature, Josephus, Philo,                  There  is  further  evidence  aplenty.  Both  
                and Pliny.                                                Josephus and the Manual Scroll speak of the  
                     Jerusalem was the crossroads of trade, and            stages of probation, the limitations imposed,  
                thus  the  Essenes  became  acquainted  with               the    instruction,      the     “exams”       before  
                Babylonian      solar    symbolism,      Zoroastrian       admittance,   the   oath   of   initiation.   The  
                dualism,      Brahman       forms      of   worship,       common  meal  of  the  Qumran  sect  agrees  
Rosicrucian     Buddhist      vegetarianism      and     self-control,     with that of the Essenes, and so does the order  
Digest          Pythagorean mysticism, the plain living and                of seating at the meetings. 
No. 2 
2007            high  thinking  of  the  Cynics,  and  ideas  of                Other points of correspondence include  
Web             Gnosticism  and  emanations  from  the  Near               the   decisions   by   assembled   members   on  
Supplement 

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questions  of  admission  and  discipline,  the                 The St. Mark’s complete Isaiah Scroll was  
study and interpretation of the law in groups,             probably copied a little before 100 BCE. The  
the stress on God’s sovereignty and providence,            Manual  of  Discipline  seems  to  have  been  
the division into celibate and marrying groups,            written  not  much  later  than  that  date. The  
the  “offering  of  the  lips”  instead  of  animal        manuscript  of  the  Habakkuk  Commentary  
sacrifice, the physical and spiritual purification,        apparently belongs to the last quarter of the  
the community of goods, the centralization of              first   century   BCE.  The   “Lamech,”  War,  
all monetary transactions, and an obscure rela-            Thanksgiving Psalms, and fragmentary Isaiah  
tionship with the Samaritans.                              documents  were  probably  made  during  the  
     There     were    both    lesser   and    greater     first half of the first century CE. 
Mysteries, and a vow of secrecy was imposed.                    Israel  did  well  to  acquire  Archbishop  
There      was    a    pronounced       interest    in     Samuel’s precious manuscripts. The complete  
eschatology—the consummation of the age—                   Isaiah Scroll, which he reluctantly sold, is the  
and the divine judgment. Some parts of the                 oldest known entire manuscript of any book  
Qabalah seem to trace to the Essene secret lore,           of  the  Bible,  and  is  therefore  important  for  
but only now is the veil beginning to lift.                textual criticism. The Manual of Discipline is  
                                                           undoubtedly   the   manual   of   a   dissident  
Documents and Dates 
                                                           monastic   order,   and   we   have   considered  
     The Dead Sea Scrolls were challenged as               compelling  evidence  which  points  to  the  
to genuineness or antiquity by S. H. Stephen,              Essenes.     The     Habakkuk         Commentary  
Solomon Zeitlin, Godfrey Driver, P. R. Weis,               mysteriously      tells    of    a    “Teacher      of  
Harry M. Orlinsky, and Toviah Wechsler (who                Righteousness” persecuted by the “Man of the  
has changed his mind). At first it was hard to             Lie.”  We  have  mentioned  that  the  so-called  
find a buyer for the Scrolls at any price, and             “Lamech”  Scroll  is  not  really  that  long-lost  
they seemed destined to go to waste.                       apocryphal book, but has to do with Genesis. 

     Then,      with     commendable          insight,  
Archbishop  Samuel  of  the  Syrian  Orthodox  
Convent  of  St.  Mark  (in  the  Old  City  of                         “There were both lesser  
Jerusalem)  bought  the  two  portions  of  a                         and greater Mysteries, and  
Manual of Discipline, the complete sixty-four                             a vow of secrecy was  
chapters of Isaiah, the Habakkuk Commentary                              imposed. There was a  
(quoting two chapters of text), and the then-                           pronounced interest in  
unopened  “Lamech”  Scroll  (which  has  since                             eschatology—the  
been unrolled and identified as a paraphrase of                      consummation of the age— 
and commentary on Genesis).                                           and the divine judgment” 

     Dr.  E.  L.  Sukenik,  Hebrew  University  
archeologist,  acquired  the  latter  part  of  a  
decidedly     different    manuscript      of   Isaiah          The  Thanksgiving   Psalms   have   some  
(showing      pre-Masoretic       text    variations),     resemblance to those of the Old Testament.  
Thanksgiving Psalms, and War of the Sons of               Also, they anticipate Paul’s doctrine that God  
Light with the Sons of Darkness.                           alone  is  righteous.  “A  person’s  way  is  not  
     The  above  (except  for  the  fragmentary            established  except  by  the  Spirit  which  God  
Isaiah) are the extensive compositions of the              created for that person.” 
Dead Sea Scrolls. Thousands more fragments                      The War of the Sons of Light with the  
have been uncovered, but we need not discuss               Sons  of  Darkness  possibly  pertains  to  an  
them beyond noting that the earliest may be                eschatological war, such as we find predicted  
as old as the third century BCE.                           in Ezekiel and The Revelation of John. The  

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                light symbolizes the real spiritual world, and              Blessed art Thou, my God, 
                the  darkness  delusion.  Holy  angels  support             Who openest to knowledge the heart of  
                the army of the Sons of Light. But since the                Thy servant… 
                Essenes  did  not  remain  consistent  pacifists,  
                                                                            Thou      hast    taught     all   knowledge.     
                their  militant  spirit  may  not  have  stopped            For   without  Thee   conduct   will   not    
                with metaphysical theology. Possibly the War                be blameless, 
                Scroll was written to celebrate the Maccabean  
                attainment of religious freedom.                            And  apart  from Thy  will  nothing  will    
                                                                            be done.”2 
                General Interpretation 
                                                                              The  one  Supreme  Ruler  transcends  our  
                     By  and  large,  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  
                                                                          deepest  awareness:  “There  is  no  other  beside  
                breathe  a  love  of  peace,  order,  self-control,  
                                                                         Thee to oppose Thy counsel, to understand all  
                humility,  and  insight.  They  do  not  rest  
                content   in   blind   belief   and   mechanical         Thy holy purpose, to gaze into the depth of Thy  
                                                                          Mysteries, or to comprehend all Thy marvels.”  
                obedience.     They     glorify    inner    spiritual  
                                                                          But humans are capable of intuitive openings  
                response,  and  an  effort  to  live  the  life  of  
                                                                          that admit a wisdom beyond our own. 
                understanding.        Divine      gnosis     is   the  
                realization  of  meaning.  Not  quantity  of                   God  is  Truth,  and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  
                factual  information  but  quality  of  wisdom            gives “understanding, and insight, and mighty  
                has  the  prime  importance,  for  humans  are           wisdom,  .  .  .  and  a  spirit  of  knowledge  in  
                spiritual beings. The highest awareness yields            every thought of action.” In the enlightened  
                depth of life, and motivates a dynamic desire             fulfillment     of     our     temporal      duties,   
                to do one’s duty.                                        we   transcend   the   confines   of   time.   We   
                                                                          inherit eternity. 
                     The community of the Dead Sea Scrolls  
                grasped these exalted truths, and gave them                    Persons who would enter into the New  
                the noblest utterance in the two documents                Covenant  of  Truth  must  “bring  all  their  
                that  we  shall  interpret  in  this  article—the         knowledge and strength and wealth into the  
                Manual  of  Discipline  and  the  Habakkuk                community of God, to purify their knowledge  
                Commentary.                                               in  the  truths  of  God’s  ordinances.”  Error  is  
                                                                          the lot of that soul which has “abhorred the  
                Manual of Discipline 
                                                                          discipline of knowledge.” The trial of conflict  
                     Not only is the Manual a compilation of              between  the  brighter  and  the  darker  angels  
                the rules of a community, but it contributes a           within   a   human   soul   tests   fidelity   and  
                most inspiring psalm to humanity’s wisdom                 perseverance. But all sin shall disappear in the  
                literature.  We  quote  this  in  part,  after  the       appointed period, and the upright shall fully  
                superb translation by Millar Burrows:                     enter into “the knowledge of the Most High  
                                                                          and the wisdom of the Sons of Heaven.” 
                   “With  nothing  but  the  will  of  God    
                  shall a man be concerned … I will sing                      The  student  of  religion  will  note  that  
                  with knowledge,                                         this  document  is  more  theosophical  than  
                  And all my music shall be for the glory                 Rabbinic   Judaism.   It   bespeaks   profound  
                   of  God  …  Source  of  knowledge  and                 spiritual dedication. 
                   Fountain of holiness … 
                                                                          Habakkuk Commentary 
                   “For from the source of His knowledge                       It is appropriate to conclude with a glance  
Rosicrucian        He has opened up my sight...                           at   the     highlight     of    the     Habakkuk  
Digest            My eye has gazed on sound wisdom,                       Commentary.  It  seems  that  there  was  a  
No. 2 
2007              Which has been hidden from the man of                  wicked priest ruling in Israel, identified only  
Web               knowledge …                                             as the “Man of the Lie.” With his treacherous  
Supplement 

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followers,     he    plundered      the    poor     and           There is no agreement among scholars as  
engaged  in  illegal  activity  for  the  sake  of           to the identity of the hero, nor of the villain.  
gain. It was his purpose to make the people                  The pre-Christian Teacher of Righteousness  
“pregnant with works of falsehood, that their                may     have     been      Jeshu    ben     Panthera.   
toil may be in vain.”                                       After     André     Dupont-Sommer            read    the  
     An      unnamed         heroic                                             Commentary,  he  exclaimed  
“Teacher   of   Righteousness”                                                  that Jesus appeared to be “an  
passed     judgment       on     the               “There is no                 astonishing  reincarnation  of  
wickedness of the evil priest.                other beside Thee to              the Teacher of Righteousness.”  
This  inspired  interpreter  of               oppose Thy counsel,               Both delivered similar ethical  
prophecy had been granted a                     to understand all               teachings,   delivered   a   new  
new  and  ampler  revelation.                Thy holy purpose, to               revelation perfecting the old,  
He was a friend of the poor                    gaze into the depth              pronounced         judgment       on  
and   simple,   a   laborer   for             of Thy Mysteries, or              Jerusalem,  were  opposed  by  
social justice. When he came                   to comprehend all                hostile     priests,    and     bore  
into conflict with the wicked                     Thy marvels”                  martyrdom for the ideal. 
priest,    those    who     should                                                    It seems probable that the  
have helped him kept silent.                                                    greatest   Wayshower         of   all  
Many        of    his    followers                                              drew   inspiration   from   the  
deserted him. His was the usual fate of bold                 Habakkuk  Commentary,  having  read  it  in  
reformers. The  villainous  man  chastised  the              the  scriptorium  of  the  Essene  monastery  
great champion of righteousness.                             where he passed his silent years. 

                                                             2 
1  Edmund Wilson,  The Scrolls from the Dead Sea (New York:      Millar  Burrows,  The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  (New  York:   

Oxford University Press, 1955).                              Viking Press, 1955). 

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