Was John the Baptist an Essene?
It has been popular among some scholars to claim that John was an Essene. A suggestion is made that John’s parents died while he was yet a child. The Essenes were known to have cared for orphan children. So, they cared for John. Some comparisons may be drawn concerning John and the Essenes. • John was in the deserts (Luke 1:80). The Essenes were in the desert. • Both John and the Essenes used Isaiah 40:3 to describe themselves as the voice in the wilderness. • The baptism (or washing) practiced by John and the Essenes required a change of heart. There are significant differences between John and the Essenes. • The Essenes hid themselves away from society in the wilderness. John was a very public figure. • John had a much more strict diet (Luke 7:33) than did the Essenes. • John preached Jesus as the Messiah. The Essenes did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, but they thought that the Teacher of Righteousness would arise from within their group. • There was a strong organization among the
