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Of extreme interest is the knowledge that a phial of oil was found in the Qumran caves with the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was wrapped and sealed in a protective manner, indicating it was very precious to those who preserved it. One could be excused for thinking it was safely stored for the anointing of their future Krists/messiahs. One of the Dead Sea Scrolls, called "The Book of the Community Rule", outlines the instructions for specific use of the Star, the head of the Order. It states that he shall: ..admit into the Covenant of grace all those who have freely devoted themselves to the observance of God's precepts, that they may be joined to the Council of God. He will cleanse him of all wicked deeds with the spirit of holiness, like purify- ing waters he will shed upon him the spirit of truth, and when his flesh is sprinkled with water, it shall be made clean by the humble submission of his soul to all the precepts of God. Of extreme interest is the knowledge that a phial of oil was After the death of John the Baptist, Judas inherited the leader- found in the Qumran caves with the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was ship of the Essenes because of family bloodline and the status of wrapped and sealed in a protective manner, indicating it was very the tradition of the first born. Because he was now Judas the precious to those who preserved it. One could be excused for "anointed" initiate, he was called "Judas the Krist" (or "Krist thinking it was safely stored for the anointing of their future Judas"), which developed to "Judas Khrestus" in subsequent Latin Krists/messiahs. translations. He became the Star, the head of the Essenes at their One of the Dead Sea Scrolls, called "The Book of the — Bethlehem community—the town in which, two of the Gospels Community Rule", outlines the instructions for specific use of the later recorded, he and his twin brother Rabbi Jesus were born.'* Star, the head of the Order. It states that he shall: As Professor Eisenman has stressed, this documentation linking ..admit into the Covenant of grace all those who have freely the messiah figure with the word "Star" occurs elsewhere in the devoted themselves to the observance of God's precepts, that Dead Sea Scrolls and is of crucial importance. Significantly, the they may be joined to the Council of God. He will cleanse Star reference has been cited by sources independent of both the him of all wicked deeds with the spirit of holiness, like purify- Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament, including historians ing waters he will shed upon him the spirit of truth, and when and chroniclers of first-century Rome such as Josephus, Tacitus his flesh is sprinkled with water, it shall be made clean by the and Suetonius. According to Josephus, the arrival of a "Star" humble submission of his soul to all the precepts of God. character was a major factor in the revolt of AD 66. Some 220 years or more after the Church claimed that Jesus This verse shows that the head of the Essene community had — Christ died for our sins, the "Star of Bethlehem" found its way the authority to admit new general members into the Order after into the second Gospel to be written, that of Matthew (Matt. 2:2). baptising them. Baptism was most certainly not part of the ortho- Here it was retrospectively made to herald the arrival of a dox Jewish tradition, so John the Baptist messiah, "a governor who shall rule the was at some time the head of the Order. people" (Matt. 2:6), and was presented in Most likely he had been a leader excelling the usual glamorised fashion of the early in his position and surpassed the other presbyters' writings. Just as important was members by being proclaimed a prophet by the presence of Simeon bar Cochba and his a large number of people. ne was deoared era me Qumran area between “~ Hee to be "more than a prophet" by Rabbi Jesus an . Simeon bar Cochba, a Jewis (Matt. 11:9). army leader, claimed to be and was accepted " as a very popular messiah.'* Even more "Star of Bethlehem" Mystery Solved The Book of the remarkable is that bar Cochba means "son iors was reeoreed about the earlier Community Rule" from of a sar in Mama and is the name ife of Judas or Rabbi Jesus in the Essene commonly used to describe him. community.'’” Being anointed seemed to the Dead Sea Scrolls Simeon bar Cochba was just another in indicate poh das an Rabb Jest had collection introduced ne succession ae many Jewish messiahs previously undergone the required three . who had come and gone, but only those peo- years of strenuous training required the Essene belief that ple who study Jewish history knew for entry into the hierarchy of the they lived in expectation anything of them. That some of bar Essene Order, and anointing was their of two important Cochba's own documents were found messiahs. "token of honour"'* before full admis- in the Qumran caves clearly suggests sion into the "inner circle of initiates". he was himself an Essene leader. It That both Judas and Rabbi Jesus knew would be very interesting to know certain "secrets" was made manifest who Simeon bar Cochba's father and from the Gospel of Mark,’” and they grandfather were, for it appears obvi- knew too much of the secret rituals of ous the "Star" figures were all succes- the Essenes to have been outsiders. sive (related) members of one family. The Gospels narrate that as a result of John the Baptist's fanatical dedica- tion to the Law of Moses, his career came to a sudden and dramatic end Two Messiahs Expected "The Book of the Community Rule" from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection when he was supposedly beheaded for introduced the Essene belief that they condemning the marriage of Herod lived in expectation of two important Agrippa I to his sister-in-law and niece, Herodias—because "it is messiahs. This was strikingly similar to the two messiahs record- against the Law [The Law of Moses] for you to have your broth- ed in the Acts of Thomas. One would be of the priestly caste, and er's wife" (Mark 6:18). "There is no historical foundation" to the the other would be a warrior who would restore the kingdom of beheading of John the Baptist and the story "has been doubted",’® his people, a military commander. With the birth of the "royal" but it seems certain that he was executed by the Romans. ben Panthera twins and their education in the Essene community, By way of comment, the execution of John the Baptist was not _it was highly probable they were regarded as the two anticipated carried out under Herod the Great. Herod Antipas, son of Herod messiahs. the Great (who went to live in Gaul in AD 39) married Herodias, In the context of the tradition of the time, "messiah" did not sig- the wife of his half-brother Herod, who was the other son of _ nify what it later and incorrectly came to signify in Christian Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the Tetrarch of Galilee and preaching. It simply meant a leader, "an anointed one", and, in Peraea'’' and styled himself as "friend of the Romans". It was Essenic belief, one who was expected to deliver them from Herod Antipas who ordered the death of John the Baptist.'* Roman bondage. "The Book of the Community Rule" from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection introduced 44 « NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2002 _the Essene belief that WWW.NeXU smagazi ne.com