Mark 1 (WEB)
Dr. House talks about the Essene community at Qumran Cave 1, explaining their ascetic and community practices, as well as their unique writings about the future Messiah that shared much with how the apostles spoke of Jesus the Messiah.
I'm here at Qumran, in the desert area of Israel.
And behind me is Cave 4, the famous cave in which the Isaiah scroll was found, among a number of others.
And this community is one that has held much history, not only for the Jewish community, but also for Christians.
Now, there were no actual Christian scriptures found here at Qumran, but what we do find are Hebrew texts that speak of a view of Messiah that is consistent with what we see later in the New Testament.
An ascetic group that largely did not have families.
They were out here in the middle for the purpose of meditation and purification.
The Essenes we know from the writings of Josephus.
They were a group of people that were concerned with purification, and they considered that the temple was a corrupt group.
They did not have appreciation for the Sadducees nor the Pharisees.
They considered that Jewish religion had been adulterated.
And so they moved out here in order to be alone for the purpose of studying and copying the Hebrew Scriptures.
Now, I should make the point that the group of Essenes that were at Qumran were a stricter sort than some other Essenes, because we do know there was an Essene community of several thousand in Jerusalem,
and also even up as far as Damascus.
But the group here at Qumran is one that every day were involved in ritual purification and anticipation of a future battle between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness — the forces of God versus that of evil.
The Essenes at this community near the Dead Sea had a view of the Messiah that really looks a lot like what we find in the New Testament.
Of course, there were some other practices that were not in accordance with what we find: some of the asceticism, some of the resistance to marriage and such like.
But we do find that these people believed in a Messiah to come who would be a suffering Messiah.
That would be in accordance with what we find in Isaiah chapter 52:13 through 53:12.
The Messiah who would suffer, who would be pierced.
The Messiah who would take upon Himself our sins.
Some of this was actually here at Qumran.
We also find that their idea of Messiah included possibly even a risen Messiah.
Now, not exactly right here on the site of Qumran, but just immediately across from here, recently was found a stone which may indicate belief even in a rising from the dead of Messiah.
Now, we're not certain of that, but what we do observe is that there is a lot of agreement between the way they looked at the Messiah and the way the New Testament authors portrayed Messiah.
For example, there's a Qumran document that says that the Messiah would heal.
And when you look at the New Testament text, it's very similar to that: one who would bear glad tidings, who would raise the dead, who would heal the sick.
That idea was here at Qumran.
You had a Messiah that was pierced, in a document called the Pierced Messiah document.
You have the idea that He will be called the Son of the Most High, reflecting what you find in the Gospel of Luke, almost word for word.
You find the idea of a Messiah who would control the storms here at Qumran, and yet we know that's exactly what Jesus did, and we find New Testament statements to that effect.
So when you look at the idea of Qumran, here between about 100 B.C. or so until about 70 A.D., you find a group of people who are here reflecting on the future of this coming Messiah.
And one that seems to be more in agreement with the idea of Messiah from what is even found in standard Judaism, such as in the Pharisee sect.
Now, Jesus himself found much agreement with the Pharisees, over against even the people here at Qumran among the Essenes.
But as far as how the Essenes viewed things, they were actually impacted more by their copying and studying of Scripture.
That gave rise to them sharing a common interpretation of the Messiah that's found in the apostolic preaching.
And that's what's so fascinating here.
Moreover, we know that the Essenes were impacted by a book called the Book of Enoch, a book that also seems to have had influence upon apostolic thinking,
a book that even Jude — in his letter, the half-brother of Jesus — quotes, about the Lord coming with 10,000 of His saints.
So this is a pretty special place, Qumran.
Not only did we find many, many scrolls that give us understanding not only of Scripture, but also of the Essene community and its theology, but a place that shared a common faith and anticipation of the coming Messiah.
So Qumran, it's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here.
1The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophets,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you:
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’”
4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
12Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.
14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”
18Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
19Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
21They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”
25Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
26The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What can this new doctrine be? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28The report of him went out immediately into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.
29Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.
32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. 33All the city was gathered together at the door. 34He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 36Simon and those who were with him searched for him. 37They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” 39He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
40A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
41Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” 42When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean. 43He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
45But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.