The
Essenes (in
Modern Hebrew: ,
Isiyim;
Greek: Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι,
Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi) were a sect of
Second Temple Judaism that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD which some scholars claim seceded from the
Zadokite priests. Being much fewer in number than the
Pharisees and the
Sadducees (the other two major sects at the time), the Essenes lived in various cities but congregated in communal life dedicated to
asceticism (some groups practiced celibacy), voluntary
poverty, and
daily immersion. Many separate but related religious groups of that era shared similar
mystic,
eschatological,
messianic, and
ascetic beliefs. These groups are collectively referred to by various scholars as the "Essenes."
Josephus records that Essenes existed in large numbers, and thousands lived throughout
Roman Judaea.