We know from Scripture that there was a direct association between Y'shua and Yochanan the Immerser (i.e. between "Jesus" and John the Baptist) and the Essene Brotherhood. Scripture is clear that Yochanan was an Essene and that Y'shua was a P'rushim (a Pharisee) although he clearly admired the Essene Teacher of Righteousness and sometimes quoted his teachings (in the Sermon on the Mount for instance). We know that connection existed. There is no room for serious debate on these point thanks in part to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
We do not know for certain if Y'shua's association with the Essenes preceded Yochanan's moving to Bethabara. Yochanan the Immerser headed and probably established an Essene splinter community there. That group varied somewhat from the main Qumran sect doctrinally, for instance Yochanan made the doctrines and mikvah purity (baptisms) publicly available whereas the Essenes did not. We can assume this was in part because Yochanan knew Moshiach had been born and that they had been called by HaShem to announce the establishment of the Kingdom to the Jewish people.
The evidence would seem to imply that Y'shua was already familiar with the Brotherhood (and absolutely not a member of it) before beginning his ministry however.
Yochanan and Y'shua of course were cousins. Miryam and Elizabeth (Elisheva) visited, presumably often, and the boys recognized one another's presence even before they were born. Based on this we can assume their association went back to their earliest days.
We have this:
CJB: Luke 1:41 When Elisheva [Elizabeth] heard Miryam's [Mary's] greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh [HaShem's Presence]
42 and spoke up in a loud voice, "How blessed are you among women! And how blessed is the child in your womb!
43 "But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!
45 Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise ADONAI has made to you will be fulfilled."With such a beginning it seems certain the sons knew each other well, even though Yochanan moved away to live with the Essenes at an early age. Yochanan and Y'shua shared a common mission.
Since we know from Y'shua's brother James (in the Protevangelion of James) and the New Testament that Yochanan had been living a secluded Essene lifestyle it is assumed by some folks that Y'shua would not have been directly associated with Yochanan prior to his baptism. The Essenes were after all very private. However that is an assumption only and is not supported by what is known. For instance we know that Lazarus and his sisters Miryam (not Y'shua's mother) and Martha lived near Yochanan's community at Bethabara and that Miryam was interested in spiritual studies (Luke 10:38-42). We know that Y'shua frequented their home and that Miryam sought his teachings (presumably as well as Yochanan's). It seems safe enough to conclude from this (and other known facts) that Y'shua made these trips to with the Bethabara Essenes and to study.
Thanks to the discovered Dead Sea Scrolls we know that many of Y'shua's sermons (especially the Sermon on the Mount) were directly inspired by sermons of the Essene Teacher of Righteousness. This strongly suggests there must have been contact between Y'shua and the Essenes prior to the beginning of his ministry (I discuss the origins of the Essene Movement in my Time Line of Eretz Israel (there see: 3625 - 3656 HH -- 135–104 BCE). Rebbe Y'shua clearly studied those teaching and incorporated them into his doctrine.
Considering the closed nature of the Brotherhood and their general dislike of the P'rushim (Pharisees) such contact would most likely have been made through association with his Essene cousin. But again, we can not prove conclusively when their direct association began so its conjecture on all sides. I believe it was a lifelong association however that was nurtured as Miryam (Y'shua's mother) visited with Elizabeth, as the two boys grew up challenging one another in camaraderie and later as serious talmidim of their respective disciplines, debating and discussing sh'eilah [questions about halakhah: Jewish law]. Such contrasting of Essene and P'rushim doctrine would have honed the wit and independent spirit manifested in both men during their ministries.
Like Master Yochanan, Rebbe Y'shua clearly knew who he was and what his life would bring. That this common bond would not have been utilized seems most unlikely. Who other than Yochanan could have truly understood Y'shua as he was growing up and vice-versa? Based on the emphasis placed on Yochanan's birth in the Gospels (compare Luke 1) and the Protevangelion of James and the known close relationship that existed between Yochanan's mother Elizabeth and Y'shua's mother Miryam, the lifelong close connection between Y'shua and his cousin Yochanan is certain in my opinion.
That Yochanan was trained by the Jewish Essene Brotherhood from an early age is spoken of by Y'shua's brother James as he describes Yochanan's rescue by the Brotherhood during the days when Rome was seeking to destroy the Jewish children (as accounted in the Gospels: Matthew 2:13). Of this we read:
Protevangelion 16:3 Elizabeth also, hearing that her son Yochanan was about to be searched for, took him and went up into the mountains, and looked around for a place to hide him;
4 and there was no place to be found.
5 Then she groaned within herself, and said, "O mountain of Adonai, receive the mother with the child."
6 For Elizabeth could not climb up.
7 And instantly the mountain was divided and received them.
8 And there appeared to them an angel of Adonai, to preserve them.The Kingdom of Heaven Was At Hand!
In my opinion the preceding is James' accurate testimony of how Yochanan was called to and out of "the Wilderness" by HaShem as a child in fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah 40:1-3. This account by Ya'akov (James) reveals how Yochanan (John the Baptist) was educated by the Essene Brotherhood of Qumran. The Essene Brothers dressed in white like the angels, maintained a holy demeanor, and lived in the caves such as those discovered at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
This extra-biblical Gospel by Ya'akov shows us how Yochanan later returned to civilization (came out of the wilderness) as an Essene Master (headquartered at Bethabara, 8 miles from the Qumran Essene community) to proclaim that the time for the implementation of the Kingdom of HaShem's Moshiach had arrived (Matthew 3:2).
I believe it is clear from what is known that that Yochanan was an intimate talmidim (student) of the Essene Teacher of Righteousness himself and that he was trained to proclaim the establishment of the literal, earthly Kingdom of HaShem. His task, under Essene benediction, was to proclaim his cousin Y'shua HaMashiach (i.e. to announce that Y'shua was the long awaited Nazir (Nazarene), or Moshiach (anointed King) of Israel: Isaiah 11:1, John 1:29. Hence we read:
Matthew 3:1 It was during those days that Yochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert of Y'hudah and began proclaiming the message,
2 "Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"
3 This is the man Yesha`yahu [Isaiah] was talking about when he said, "The voice of someone crying out: `In the desert prepare the way of ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!'"Yochanan's whole life was invested in training for this event of singular importance. Yochanan did not say the Kingdom will be established in a couple of thousand years! No, he said "the Kingdom is at hand" at that time. BUT there was a condition!
Like Yochanan the Immerser, Rebbe Y'shua warned that:
Matthew 5:20 ... that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
"Repent!" he urged, because the time is now at hand. Prepare yourselves to receive the Kingdom!Who had greater righteousness than the Scribes (Torah teachers) and P'rushim? The Essenes. And Y'shua called his talmidim to that same high standard.
It is equally clear from all extant texts that Yochanan the Immerser considered his role to be as forerunner to HaMashiach. Yochanan said:
Matthew 3:11 It's true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy even to carry his sandals -- and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.The elders of Judah (both P'rushim: Pharisees and Tz'dukim: Sadducees) needed to repent and be immersed by Yochanan the Essene. Yochanan would then have presented them to their King, Y'shua HaMashiach.
It is clear from the words of both masters that Yochanan and Y'shua were prepared and authorized by HaShem to establish the Kingdom at that time and to enthrone Y'shua as Theocratic King of Israel (compare Matthew 3:2, 4:17 etc.). They were not speaking in symbols; they were ready to act!
However the elders of Israel rejected the Kingdom on behalf of Jewish People and so the Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21;24) continued.
It is important to note that all of the Apostles and most of the early talmidim (students) of Y'shua were born Jews. The number of Jews who accepted Y'shua as Cohen Gadol (High Priest and Mediator) and as Moshiach was huge (Acts 17:1-6). Nonetheless, it was the P'rushim (Pharisees) seated in the place of Moshe (Matthew 22:2) who had the authority to accept or reject Moshiach. They were responsible to determine his identity and to vouch for him. Based in part on their "hard heartedness" they failed to recognize their Redeemer and King and so refused him.
HaShem deals with Israel collectively according to an established hierarchy. When the Elders of Israel rejected Yochanan and Y'shua, all of Israel rejected them by proxy. Without being accepted by the elders Y'shua could not take up the Messianic mantle (and that time).
Conversely, had the elders led Israel in sincere repentance as directed by Yochanan, the Kingdom would have been established 2000 years ago! Of course HaShem knows all things and He knew that was not going to happen (Romans 11:8). The Theocratic Kingdom of HaShem and His Mashiach will be established when the time is right.
For more on this topic see Part 6 of my "Introduction to Messianic Judaism."
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