THE SONS OF ZADOK AND THE
CHRISTIAN GNOSIS
The Galilean Master, as he is
presented to us in the New Testament, appears in many respects as an astonishing
reincarnation of the teacher of righteousness. Like the later He preached
penitence, poverty, humility, love of one's neighbor, and chastity. Like Him, He
prescribed the observance of the Law of Moses, the whole law, but the law
finished and perfected, thanks to His own revelations. Like Him He was the Elect
and Messiah of God, the Messiah redeemer of the world. Like Him He was the
object of the hostility of the priests, the party of Sadducees. Like Him He
pronounced judgment on Jerusalem, which was taken and destroyed by the Romans
for having Him put to death. Like Him, at the end of time, He will be the
supreme judge. Like Him, He founded a Church whose adherents fervently awaited
His glorious return.
Andre Dupont-Sommer
Many if
not most of the scholars dealing with the origin of Christian Gnosticism lead us
to the conclusion that the most paramount influence on Gnosticism was mystical
Judaism, in particular the Merkavah mysteries and the early Kabala. The question
most often neglected however is through what channels this transmission took
place.
Within a
relatively short period of time in the 1940's, two phenomenal caches of
manuscripts were discovered; the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, and the Nag Hammadi
Codices of Egypt. These finds have become not only invaluable sources to provide
the missing links of transmission between the Essenes and the first Christian
Gnostics, but they also give new insights on how early Jewish mysticism
influenced later traditions such as Catharism and Templarism.
More than
a century before the New Testament was written the Essenes were teaching ideas,
proverbs, prayers, blessings and even parts of the Sermon on the Mount that
Jesus later taught. Even the term New Testament is taken from the Essene term
'the New Covenant'. What became known as the Eucharist or re-enactment of the
Last Supper can certainly be traced to the bread and wine communion of the
Essenes known as the Messianic Meal. Let us recall that Jesus raised the 'cup of
the new covenant' in true Essenic fashion, promising His disciples that they
would eat and drink with Him in His coming kingdom.
The
Manual of Discipline refers specifically to the Messianic Meal whose basic
elements were bread and wine. "And when the table has been prepared for eating,
and the new wine for drinking, the priest shall be the first to stretch out his
hand to bless the first fruits of the bread and the new wine".
One of
the most remarkable similarities between the Essenes and the early Christians
was the institution of communal societies that were bonded together by their
apocalyptic visions. Both communities practiced community of goods, liturgical
meals and baptism. The Essenes as well as the Church of James at Jerusalem
called themselves 'the Poor'.
And He lifted up His eyes on
His disciples and said: Blessed are you 'Poor', for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:20
For Macedonia and Achaia have
been pleased to make some contributions for the 'Poor' among the Saints at
Jerusalem.
Romans 15:26
And they would have us remember
the 'Poor', which very thing I was eager to do.
Galatians 2:10
Listen, my beloved brethren.
Has not God chosen those who are 'Poor' in the world to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?
James 2:5
And all who believed were
together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods
and distributed them to all, as any had need.
Acts 2:44-45
In
relationship to the community of goods, we now have a bit better insight as to
why the early Christians were told to give their possessions to the 'Poor'. The
hierarchy of Qumran consisted of a council of twelve similar in some ways to the
role of the twelve disciples.
Below the
Essene council of twelve were the inspectors or overseers (Mebaqqer), whose
function greatly resembled that of the early Christian inspectors known as
Episcopoi. The roles of the inspectors are especially similar, whose duties
included presiding at meetings, in particular Eucharistic or communal feasts;
they were responsible for the admission of new members to their communities and
the administration of communal goods.
There is
little if any doubt that the eschatological ideologies of the two communities
were very similar. Both communities held strong expectations that the 'end of
days' was soon forthcoming, and ordered their communal beliefs and practices
according to this article of faith. The eschatological nature of the two
communities can also be seen in some of the major doctrines that they embraced.
Both employed dualistic language to describe the options in the universe, being
light and darkness. In the Manual of Discipline we find:
God has created man to govern
the world, and has appointed for him two spirits in which to walk until the time
of His visitation: the spirits of truth and falsehood. Those born of truth
spring from a fountain of light, but those born of falsehood spring from a
source of darkness. All the children of righteousness are ruled by the prince of
light and walk in the ways of light, but all the children born of falsehood are
rules by the angel of darkness and walk in the ways of darkness.
For a
further elaboration of the Essene ideas on this subject we need look no farther
than the scroll of the War of the Sons of Light and the Sons of darkness which
contains a detailed description of the eschatological final battle between the
Sons of Light and darkness. For readers of the New Testament, these ideas will
seem profoundly familiar.
Do
not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and
iniquity? Or what fellowship has 'Light and darkness'?
Corinthians 6:14
Again Jesus spake to them,
saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in
darkness, but will have the Light of life."
John 8:12
The Light shines in the
darkness and darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5
The Light is with you a little
longer. Walk while you have the Light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who
walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light,
believe in the Light, that you may become sons of Light.
John 12:35-36
And this is the judgment, that
the Light has come into the world, and man loved Darkness rather than Light,
because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and
does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 3:19-20
But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, and a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the
wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.
1
Peter 2:9
He
who says he is in the Light and hates His brother is in the darkness still. He
who loves his brother abides in the Light, and in it there is no cause for
stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the
darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded
his eyes.
1
John 2:9-11
John the Baptist
We are told in the
New Testament of John the Baptist, the great harbinger of Christianity that, "The word of the Lord came to
John, the son of Zachary, in the desert" (Luke 3:2). We might initially think
that the desert might mean a desolate place in general, however, this most
probably referred to a particular place, being the areas near Qumran. In fact
the Essenes often called their community at Qumran the 'desert', and furthermore
the region where John conducted his baptismal mission was only two miles from
the Essene community. The New Testament Gospels apply the words of Isaiah to
John "The voice of one crying in the 'desert'; prepare the way of the Lord, make
straight in the wilderness the paths of God". In the Essene Manual of Discipline we find, "Prepare ye the way of
the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God".
In the
relationship of Jesus to the 'desert' found in Luke 1:80, "The child grew, and
was strengthened in spirit and was in the 'desert' until the day of his
manifestation in Israel". I doubt that Luke meant that the young Jesus grew up
literally in the middle of the desert. We are also told that John came from a
priestly family, as did a great deal of the Essenes, who called themselves the
'Sons of Zadok'. In many of the Essenes Hymns we find allusions to preparing the
way of the Lord in the desert in order to give knowledge (Gnosis) of salvation.
We also
know from the New Testament that John ate locusts. The Essene Damascus Document
even states how locusts are to be prepared for consumption (roasted). Also in
assuming that John and for that matter Jesus were not married and perhaps
celibate, we must remember that the Essenes generally practiced ascetic
celibacy, indicating that John nor the Essenes were aligned with mainstream
Judaism.
Possibly
the strongest connection of John to the Essenes will be found in their practices
and beliefs concerning eschatology in relationship to baptism. Both stated that
the coming judgment of the worlds was imminent, and that penance by means of
baptism was the way of preparation, and the method of entry into the Essene
community as well as the Christian community.
The Essenes and the Gnostics
To find hints
of Essenism in Christian Gnosticism we may conveniently begin with Simon Magus,
who is considered by many to be the father of Christian Gnosticism. Simon was a
disciple of Dositheus who was clearly an Essene. He was described as a 'Son of
Zadok', and lived near Damascus which was a habitation of Essene exiles.
Dositheus was not only a disciple of John the Baptist but became chief of John's
sect after his death. Also, Dositheus appears as the revealer in the 'Three
Steles of Seth', in which connection it should be noticed that according to some
heresiological reports he also played the role of godfather in the formation of
the Gnostic schools rather than Simon.
One
dominant connecting link between the Essenes and the Gnostics is the Book of
Enoch. The church suppressed the Book of Enoch and accused by later church
Fathers to be a product of Gnostic writers, until pre-Christian copies were
found at Qumran. It was considered to be too ‘Essene’ for the Christians, and
too ‘Christian’ for the Jews. It was popular in the second century with Barnabus
and Athenagoras, and in the third century with Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus
and Tertullian, but from the forth century onward it fell into discredit, and
under the ban of Hilary, Jerome and Augustine it generally passed out of
circulation and became lost to western Christianity.
If Qumran
was the mother of Christianity then Enoch was the father. The verifiable
connections of Enoch and Gnostic literature are too numerous to list here and
deserve a specific work dedicated to this matter. We can say however that the
French Gnostic Church has realized this connection long before the Dead Sea
Scrolls were discovered. In 1907 Bishop-Primate John Bricaud stated that the
Book of Enoch along with the primitive Kabala was a major part of the ancient
Gnosis that was committed to writing.
There is
in fact a great deal of common literature among the Essenes and Gnostics. The
Odes of Solomon were especially popular with Palestinian Gnostics, as is
evidenced within the Pistis Sophia. Among the Odes of Solomon we find one of the
Essene thanksgiving psalms that were found at Qumran, and thought by some to
have been written by the Teacher of Righteousness.
The
Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs was also a common work, even though the
Christian versions underwent certain changes in order to Christianize this piece
of literature, which is perhaps the greatest of all the works of the
pseudepigrapha. Most significant of all however is the fact that so much of the
New Testament writings, especially Paul and John can be found dispersed
throughout the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The next
step that we should take would be to trace Essene thought within the development
of Gnosticism throughout the last two millennia. In the Middle Ages, the Cathars
made use of a certain book, 'Barlaam and Josaph' as did the Essenes. This book
has strong hints of the story of Buddha, which shows a common admiration for
eastern thought.
Another
name that will be found in so many western esoteric traditions is that of Melchizadek . We
find that this name is prevalent not only among the Essenes and Gnostics, but
also holds a great significance among the Templars, who were agents of the
Gnosis. The name Melchisedek is derived from the Hebrew 'Melki Tzaddiq', meaning
king or ruler of righteousness.
According
to the Bible, Melchisedek was born without a father or mother. To the Templars
this meant that he was not born on this planet, but was a spiritual being who
came from elsewhere. The Bible states that Melchisedek gave Abraham bread and
wine after the later had conquered the kings of Edom. In the Templar tradition,
this relates to a symbolic act of highest importance. The giving of bread and
wine to Abraham is just another way of saying that because Abraham had conquered
the warring elements within himself, he had reached the stage where he was ready
to take another step on the ladder of evolution. By a direct transmission of
some type, initiated Abraham into a new level of consciousness and
awareness.
The bread
and wine administered by was of course the source of the communal meal of the
Essenes and the Eucharist of the Christians. To the Templars, therefore,
Melchisedek is one of the key figures of the Order of the Temple. He was the
father figure of the Templars in the same way that Hiram Abiff is the father
figure within the tradition of Freemasonry. At Chartres, one of the great French
cathedrals, where construction was sponsored by the Templars, an impressive
stone carving and a beautiful stained glass window pay homage to , the father of
the Eternal Priesthood.
In
conclusion, the Order of the Temple not only considered the Essenes to have been
heirs and guardians of the Priesthood of , they also held a tradition that John
the Baptist, Jesus and their parents (whom their tradition held to be Essenes)
were also.
Hence the group we refer to as
the Essenes, which has the outgrowth of the periods preparations from the
teachings of Melchisedek, as propagated by Elijah and Elisha and Samuel. These
were set aside for preserving themselves in direct line or choice for the
offerings of themselves as channels through which there might come the new or
Divine Origin.
Edgar Cayce (Reading 254-109)
Zacharias at first was a member
of what you could term the orthodox priesthood. Mary and Elizabeth were members
of the Essenes, and for this reason Zacharias kept Elizabeth in the mountains
and in the hills. Yet when there was the announcing of the birth and Zacharias
proclaimed his belief, the murder, the death took place.
Edgar Cayce (Reading5749-8)
THE SUPPRESSION
Within
the last decade or so in America, Gnostic Churches have been springing up in
great numbers, as heretical weeds that will not and cannot be suppressed. In
bookstores, books on Gnosticism and the Dead Sea Scrolls can be found side by
side as they most rightfully should be. There seems to be a rising tide, a tide
of the need of truth dawning within our new Age of Aquarius as there was in the
dawn of the age of Pisces when the Essenes and the Gnostics flourished side by
side.
The Dead
Sea Scrolls have been hidden from the public for far too long. It is ironic that
the ‘Ecole Biblique’, a branch of the Dominican order, has suppressed them. Once
again the villainy of Rome has attempted through its channels to give us a new
Dark Age. Fortunately, the genocidal fires of the Inquisition have temporarily
expired and the torture chambers deemed illegal. I truly believe that it was by
Divine Providence that the finds of Qumran and nag Hammadi were protected until
such time that they could be safely recovered. It is now not only up to the
scholars but also the students of primitive Christianity to weave the threads of
truth together.
In
closing, let us remember that wonderful theosophical motto: 'There is no
religion higher than the truth'.
Other articles by Bishop
John Cole: ,
BIBLIOGRAPHY
John Allegro, The
Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (New York, Gramercy Publishing Co.
1956)
Michael Baigent
& Richard Leigh, The Dead Sea Scrolls
Deception. (New York, Summit Books,
1991)
John Bricaud,
The Esoteric
Christian Doctrine. (Barbados,
Universal Gnostic Church, 1990.) English translation of 1907 French
Edition
Jean Danielou,
The Dead Sea
Scrolls and Primitive Christianity.
(New York, mentor Omega. 1958)
Jeffrey Furst,
Edgar Cayce's
Story of Jesus. (New York,
Coward-McCann, 1969)
Rev. Dr. Charles
Francis Potter, The Lost Years of Jesus
Revealed. (New York, Fawcett Gold
Medal, 1962)
Hugh Sconfield,
Secrets of the
Dead Sea Scrolls. (New York, Thomas
Yoseloff, 1957.)
The Essene Odyssey. (Rockport, Mass.
Element.1984)
Hershel Shanks,
Ed., Understanding
the Dead Sea Scrolls. (New York,
Random House, 1992)
