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Re: orion Essenes = 'osey hatorah?





stephen goranson wrote:
> 
> In response to two posts:
> 
> 1, F. Cryer stated that Philo did not know Hebrew. I quite agree! And I
> have written the same observation. But Cryer goes on to suggest that
> therefore Philo is of no help here. Though the evidence is not limited to
> Philo alone, Philo is indeed of use. In Quod Probus 75, he admits that
> something is not quite right about the Greek explanation he presents, but
> offers osios. He repeats the word in Quod Probus 91, Essaion = osaion. In
> De Vita Contemplativa 1 Philo associates Essenes with the "active life,"
> bios praktikos. In a text sometimes ignored, Apologia pro Iudaeis
> (Hypothetica), in Eusebius, Praep. Evang. 8.11.1, Philo wrote: "Our
> Lawgiver encouraged the myriads of his disciples to live in community:
> these are called Essenes, and I think they have merited this title because
> of their holiness [osioteta]." Myriads in community following what Moses
> taught, wrote Philo.

Cross also makes use of the Hypothetica and Quod Probus as indirect
evidence from Philo that the Eastern Aramaic HASEN/HASAYYA "holy ones"
and notes that the EA xsyh is used in 4QTLev.  This makes sense to me
since it explains both Greek forms, ESSAIOI and ESSHNOI.

Jack

-- 
______________________________________________

taybutheh d'maran yeshua masheecha am kulkon

Jack Kilmon
jkilmon@historian.net

http://www.historian.net
For private reply, e-mail to Jack Kilmon <jkilmon@historian.net>
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