Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman Was Jesus an Essene?
Oct 7, 2025
This episode features Bart Ehrman, a renowned New Testament scholar and bestselling author, who dives into the fascinating world of the Essenes, an ancient Jewish sect. He examines the Dead Sea Scrolls and their insights into the apocalyptic beliefs of the Essenes. Ehrman discusses the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, highlighting their shared apocalyptic themes while arguing that neither was likely an Essene due to their outreach and differing practices. The conversation also touches on evolving scholarly views and the linguistic origins of the Gospels.
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Essenes As A Distinct Jewish Faction
- The Essenes were one of several distinct Jewish groups in Jesus' time with unique practices and beliefs.
- Josephus provides concrete descriptions of the Essenes that complement later findings from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Essenes' Extreme Ascetic And Purity Rules
- Josephus portrays the Essenes as ascetic, communal, and purity-focused with strict membership rules and rituals.
- Their lifestyle included communal funds, celibacy for many, and elaborate purity practices even about bowel movements.
Dead Sea Scrolls Reveal Qumran Community
- The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran include biblical copies, community rules, psalms, and apocalyptic texts tied to an Essene-like community.
- These texts give much earlier manuscript evidence for the Hebrew Bible and reveal the community's worldview and practices.
