Beginning of Essay
Clearly and the schism that caused the Dead Sea sect to arise can only be understood in the context of Jewish history and the sectarianism of the Second Temple period in Judea. Across twenty centuries, the Scrolls speak to us of the pluralism that existed in anci ....

Middle of Essay
.... all Qumran texts are interpreted. Scholarly ethics and integrity, and scientific investigation demand that each text from the caves, along with the Greek writings concerning the Essenes by Philo and Josephus, be subjected to their own separate critical review before conclusions are made. It must be remembered that Josephus, the primary source of information about the Essenes, wrote primarily for Greek and Roman audiences, and that he wrote approximately two hundred years after the founding of the sect. At this late date, it would be impossible for him to have first hand knowledge. Also, he himself "admits to having included more than one group of ....