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Re: Essene name



Beruriah Bloom wrote:
> 

> If there is a basis for believing the Essenes were healers, it is apparently not
> etymological.  Whether the residents of the Qumran community were Essenes or
> not, here has been nothing found to date in the Qumran scrolls to indicate that
> healing was part of their philosophy or activity, has there?

	Yes. 4Q Therapeia which reports of the rounds of the Qayyepha/Kefa (leader)
among the sick and the applications of medicines.  Josephus mentions their
use of roots and stones to cure distempers (Wars II.viii.6).  Knowledge and the
Healing arts seem to be associated with the Essenes.  Since Asayya would be
transliterated to "Therapeutae" for the Egyptian group, I can see the etymology
from Asayya to Essenoi.

Jack Kilmon
Houston, Texas
JPMan@accesscomm.net