29.03.2013 Views

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

(<strong>the</strong> Minim, or heretics—probably <strong>the</strong> Jewish<br />

Christians), <strong>and</strong> all ' Epicureans'' (materialists),<br />

<strong>the</strong> same punishment is assigned to those 'who read<br />

exteme writings' (Sepharim haChitsanim) <strong>and</strong> *<br />

who whispered' (a magical formula) ' over a<br />

wound.' * Both <strong>the</strong> Babylonian <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jerusalem<br />

Talmud ® <strong>of</strong>fer a strange explanation <strong>of</strong> this<br />

practice; perhaps, because <strong>the</strong>y ei<strong>the</strong>r did not, or<br />

else would not, underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> allusion. But to us it<br />

seems at least significant that as, in <strong>the</strong> first quoted<br />

instance, <strong>the</strong> mention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chitsonim is conjoined<br />

with a condemnation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> exclusive use <strong>of</strong> white<br />

garments in worship, which we know to have been<br />

an Essene peculiarity, so <strong>the</strong> condemnation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

use <strong>of</strong> Chitsonim writings with that <strong>of</strong> magical<br />

cures.' At <strong>the</strong> same time, we are <strong>the</strong> less bound to<br />

insist on <strong>the</strong>se allusions as essential to our<br />

argument, since those, who have given ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

derivation than ours to <strong>the</strong> name EsseneSj express<br />

<strong>the</strong>mselves unable to find in ancient Jewish<br />

writings any trustworthy reference to <strong>the</strong> sect.<br />

On one point, at least, our inquiry into <strong>the</strong> three '

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!