Chapter XVI.—The Tenets of the Esseni Continued.
And they continue in an orderly manner, and with
perseverance pray from early dawn, and they do not speak a word unless
they have praised God in a hymn. And in this way they each go
forth and engage in whatever employment they please; and after having
worked up to the fifth hour they leave off. Then again they come
together into one place, and encircle themselves with linen girdles,
for the purpose of concealing their private parts. And in this
manner they perform ablutions in cold water; and after being thus
cleansed, they repair together into one apartment,—now no one who
entertains a different opinion from themselves assembles in the
house,—and they proceed to partake of breakfast. And when
they have taken their seats in silence, they set down loaves in order,
and next some one sort of food to eat along with
the bread
, and
each receives from these a sufficient portion. No one, however,
tastes these
before
the priest utters a blessing,
1027
and prays over
the food
. And after breakfast, when he has
a second time offered up supplication, as at the beginning, so at the
conclusion of their meal they praise God in hymns. Next, after
they have laid aside as sacred the garments in which they have been
clothed while together taking their repast within
the
house
—(now
these garments
are linen)—and having
resumed the
clothes which they had left
in the vestibule, they
hasten to agreeable occupations until evening. And they partake
of supper, doing all things in like manner to those already
mentioned. And no one will at any time cry aloud, nor will any
other tumultuous voice be heard. But they each converse quietly,
and with decorum one concedes the conversation to the other, so that
the stillness of those within
the house
appears a sort of
mystery to those outside. And they are invariably sober, eating
and drinking all things by measure.
1027
[The
Essenes practised many pious and edifying rites; and this became
Christian usage, after our Lord’s example.
Matt. xiv. 19; 1 Tim. iv.
3–5
.]