Essenes:

Ancient Ancestors of Masonry

Lauren Redfield

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 A great number of books has been written about the secretive society known as

Freemasonry. Some authors claim that modern Freemasonry is but “a peculiar system of

morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols,” or the practice of perfecting one’s

character through self-realization and the quest for inner wisdom (Lomas 213). Other writers lay

claims that the “secrets of the ancients” are contained within Freemasonry. Was Freemasonry

simply a scholarly establishment, formed in response to the intellectual discoveries of the

Enlightenment, or do its traditions constitute ancient secrets, passed down through various

secretive organizations over multiple generations? In Greg Taylor’s The Guide to Dan Brown’s

The Solomon Key, as well as in Colin Wilson’s “Foreword” to Lomas’ book, Turning the Hiram

Key, there is a suggestion that the roots of Freemasonry stem from ancient secretive orders,

among them the Essenes, an ancient, conservative Jewish sect (Taylor 51; Lomas 13). Although

the connections between the Essenes and Freemasons may not be blatantly obvious, one can

identify a link between these two brotherhoods by examining the Jewish sect and comparing its

practices, symbols, and values to those of the Masons. Through such a process, one can observe

the basis for a theory linking Freemasonry to ancient times.

To understand the correlation that exists between the Freemasons and the Essenes, one

must first be familiar with both societies. Freemasonry was officially established with the

opening of the Grand Lodge in London in 1717. Today, there are more than two million

members of the society, most of whom are male, and women are only allowed to join select

divisions of Masonry (Lomas 33). The fraternity is “fundamentally focused on charitable work”

and on average donates $2 million daily to social causes (Shugarts 36). While the brotherhood

can be viewed as a social institution where members from varying backgrounds may discuss any

topic excluding politics and religion, the practices which are found in Masonic sessions insinuate

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that the purpose of the organization is not limited to entertainment. Lodge meetings are infused

with symbolic rituals and members are taught unusual stances, passwords, and handshakes.

According to Walter Leslie Wilmshurst, who served as President of the Masonic Study Society

during his lifetime, hidden in these eccentric practices is the “veiled and cryptic expression of the

difficult science of spiritual life” (http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html).

Although Freemasonry was officially established with the formation of the Grand Lodge

in 1717, it is said that the organization came to England from Scotland, where William St. Clair,

a member of the Knights Templar and informal founder of Masonry, built the Masonic Rosslyn

Chapel in the 15th century (Lomas 15). The Templar, who fled to Scotland after persecution from

the French King Philip IV, had previously participated in the Crusades in the Holy Land. There,

they are said to have discovered, adopted and guarded many of the traditions and ideas of the

Essene sect of Judaism (Taylor 51).

The Essenes, with their Pharisee and Sadducee contemporaries, were one of the three

factions of Judaism active from the mid-second century BC to about 70 AD1. Little was known

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The origin of the brotherhood is unknown and, since Essene ideology and practice probably evolved over
time, it is impossible to ascertain the precise date when this order was firmly established. Philo, in his Apology for
the Jews, writes that “Our lawgiver, Moses, formed innumerable disciples into a fellowship called Essenes,” while
other scholars speculate that great figures in Jewish tradition, such as Enoch or perhaps Samuel the Prophet, founded
the society (Ginsburg 36; Székely 12). In Antiquities, Josephus notes that the Essenes have existed “ever since the
ancient time of the fathers”, and Pliny, in his Natural History, explains that the Essenes have prolonged their
existence “through thousands of ages” (Ginsburg 52, 40). However, the eldest concrete mentioning of their existence
is given in Josephus’ Antiquities, in which the Essenes are said to have lived in BC 166, during the time of Jonathan
the Maccabean. Therefore, most intellectuals believe that the Essenes stem from the Hasidim, who were pious
devotees of the Law during the Maccabean period (Black 5). Upon returning to Palestine, a group of Hasidim found
Palestinian Judaism to be too liberal and split off from the sect, forming the Essenes, while the remaining Hasidim
became known as the Pharisees (Beall 48; Stemberger 126).

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about this sect until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the spring of 1947. Before this time,

the most reliable information was contained in the writings of the classical authors Philo,

Josephus, and Pliny, who lived during the time of the group’s activity and provided the earliest

records of the society. Philo (ca 10 BC – 60 AD), a Jew from Alexandria, makes the first

mention of the Essenes in his two works Every Good Man is Free and Hypothetica, which were

written around 40 AD. Josephus Flavius (ca 37 – 100 AD), who provides the greatest amount of

information on the Jewish group, mentions the Essenes numerous times in his work entitled Life,

The Jewish War, and The Antiquities of the Jews (Beall 1). Josephus, who as a young man

evaluated the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes in order to decide which sect to join, gives the

most detailed accounts, due to the fact that he claimed to have lived with the Essenes for a year

(Beall 2). His contemporary, Pliny the Elder (ca 23 – 79 AD), describes the Essenes in his

Natural History, written in AD 77 (Beall 1). This work is especially significant because Pliny

locates the Essenes on “the west shore of the Dead Sea”, which identifies the group with the

Qumran and the Dead Sea Scroll community (Newman and Ludlam 91).

Pliny’s placement of the Essenes corresponds with the site of Qumran, therefore many

scholars believe that the sect occupied the dwelling, as there are no other traces of an ancient

settlement in that area. Nearby Qumran, along the upper northwest shore of the Dead Sea, are the

Engedi caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The scrolls

represent a vast library of over three hundred separate works, but many of these works are torn

and fragmented (http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/dssfacts.html). Mentioned in the

scrolls is a firm belief in predestination and an eternal soul, which are collectively compatible

with the classical descriptions of Essene theology. The laws laid out in the scrolls also match the

rules of the sect, thus there exists a hypothesis that the sect, housed in Qumran, authored and

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copied these documents. While there is some debate about whether the scrolls are truly Essenic,2

most scholars agree that the Essene and Qumran sects are one and the same, which enables us to

utilize the Dead Sea Scrolls as additional sources information about the sect.

At least four thousand Essenes existed in the time of Josephus. These followers, who

were mostly male, denounced marriage except for the purposes of reproduction, since females

were considered a distraction or source of group division. The sect was able to continue without

reproduction with the addition of children or young men to the society (VanderKam 73). While

some of these men lived at the edges of most towns, most lived in their own isolated

communities where they participated in agriculture, raised sheep for wool, or practiced crafts

such as pottery or carpentry. They were generally peaceful, but willing and ready to fight for

Moses’ religious law if necessary, as is evident in their participation in the insurrection against

Rome (Stemberger 139).

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The name “Essene” is never mentioned in the Qumran texts, and this creates an obstacle to the Qumran-
Essene hypothesis. Some scholars attribute this discrepancy to the fact that the Hebrew or Aramaic original of the
term is unknown, and argue that the “number of parallels [between the Essenes and the authors of the Qumran] is
striking, and it puts the burden of proof upon those who would insist that the Qumran community was not Essene”
(Beall 125). Frank Moore Cross, cited in Ullmann-Margalit’s Out of the Cave, lays out this argument eloquently:

The scholar who would “exercise caution” in identifying the sect of Qumran with the Essenes
places himself in an astonishing position. He must suggest seriously that two major parties formed
communalistic religious communities in the same district of the Dead Sea and lived together in
effect for two centuries, holding similar bizarre views, performing similar or rather identical
lustrations, ritual meals, and ceremonies.
He must suppose that one [the Essenes], carefully described by the classical authors, disappeared
without leaving building remains or even potsherds behind; the other [the inhabitants of Qumran],
systematically ignored by the classical authors, left extensive ruins, and indeed a great library. I
prefer to be reckless and flatly identify the men of Qumran with their perennial houseguests, the
Essenes. (38)

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 Similarities between the Essenic and Masonic brotherhoods are especially evident in the

procedures of initiation. Both groups use an induction process of three stages. In the first stage of

becoming an Essene, the candidate lives by the rules of the organization but is not yet considered

a member, as is shown by his exclusion during communal meals (VanderKam 89). He casts his

possessions into the brotherhood’s common treasury, and this action represents the novice’s

willingness to give up his material accessories in his quest for truth (Ginsburg 11). This same

principle is emphasized in the first stage of Masonic initiation which, as Walter Leslie

Wilmshurst states, “involves the purification and subdual…and the killing out of desire for all

material attractions and indifference to the allurements of the outer world”

(http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html).

This first stage also features the introduction of the candidate to his new garment: the

white apron. For the Essene, this article represents purity (Ginsburg 13). The apron holds the

same meaning in Freemasonry: “it expresses man as he subsists in perfection and in the Divine

idea,” and is associated with the innocence of a newborn child (http://www.freemasons-

freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html). Perhaps it is more than just an intriguing correlation that

the Essenes and Masons, centuries apart, chose the same piece of clothing as a gift in the first

stage of initiation to represent purity.

In the second stage of initiation, both Essenic and Masonic candidates are brought closer

into the community but are given limited privileges. The Essene entrant partakes in the

customary purification rituals but has yet to dine with his brethren, and the Mason is shown the

stances and passwords of this phase, yet is not allowed into all Lodge meetings (VanderKam 89;

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html). Self-discipline is also

characteristic of this period. The Essene is being evaluated by the elders of his community

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regarding his progress in self-control, while, throughout this stage, the Mason is taught to

“discipline…the mind until it becomes pure and strong enough to respond to a supernatural order

of life and wisdom” (http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html). Again,

Freemasonry mirrors Essenic practice.

The third phase represents self-sacrifice and the elimination of the selfishness within the

initiate so that complete regeneration can take place. In Freemasonry, this theme is exemplified

in the mock murder of Hiram Abif, who is acted out by the initiate. This death represents the

“dying away….and total obliteration of the personal ego, the sense of ‘myself’ as something

separate from other selves and having special rights of its own” (Lomas 170). While no ritual is

mentioned in the writings about the Essene community which correlates with the drama of this

death in the third phase of initiation, the Essene candidate will “take awesome oaths” that

parallel this same symbolism. Included among the Essene oaths are promises to “wrong no one,

either by his own decision or by order,…that [the candidate] will never use his power arrogantly

or…outshine his [companions]…that he will keep his hands…and his soul pure of unholy gain”

(Beall 19). Such oaths reflect a restraint of personal desires and the subjugation of bodily urges

to advance one’s self above others. Upon completing the three phases of initiation, which

represent the death of material desire, the discipline of the mind, and the death of the ego, both

the Essene and the Mason are welcomed as full members of their societies.

Another similarity between the Freemasons and the Essenes pertains to the oaths of

secrecy that the initiates are required to take upon entry to their societies. The Essene must

promise not to “disclose anything about [the sect] to others, even if he be tortured to death”

(Beall 19). Likewise the Mason is instructed to “most solemnly promise…that I will…never

reveal…any piece…within Freemasonry….to anyone in creation unless it be to a genuine and

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legitimate Brother or Brethren” (Lomas 54-55). If the member is found to have dishonored this

vow, he faces with severe consequences. An Essene caught in such a serious offense is expelled

and “unable to partake of the food of others, but he feeds himself on wild herbs and his body

wastes away from hunger until he dies” (Beall 19). Upon entering the society, the Mason

“solemnly swear[s] to observe [the oath of secrecy] under no less a consequence…than that of

having [his] throat rent asunder, [his] tongue forcibly removed, and [his] worthless body buried

on such a part of a beach where the tide doth ebb and flow” (Lomas 56). Thus, secrecy is

emphasized as of highest importance and disclosure of confidential information of the sects is

punishable by extreme disciplinary actions.

In addition to the direct parallels evident in the initiation processes, the similarity

between the doctrines of both societies can also be viewed in the light of another religious

institution: Christianity. The resemblance between the Christian and Essene theologies has led

some scholars, including Christian D. Ginsburg and Edmond Bordeaux Székely, to the

conclusion that both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were Essenes. Jesus did not appear in

public until his thirtieth year, and it is likely that before this period He lived with the Essenes in

customary seclusion, being trained according to their doctrine. In biblical texts, Christ frequently

rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees but makes no criticism of the Essenes, indicating that He

was a member of their group. Much of Christian teaching is akin to Essene ideology, and some

scholars speculate that Christ’s instruction was based on what He had learned during the period

He spent with the Essene brotherhood. Such teaching includes the accumulation of heavenly

treasures as opposed to material wealth, an emphasis on meekness and humility, and the use of

the body as a temple for the Holy Spirit (Ginsburg 24).3

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 These principles of Christianity then spread with the aid of Paul the Apostle, the other

disciples, and later the Roman Empire, throughout Asia Minor and Europe. The founders of

Freemasonry, whether they were Knights Templar or other European intellectuals who rejected

Jesus as Messiah but embraced his teaching in the form of Deism, were heavily influenced by the

Christian doctrine. W. L. Wilmshurst writes that “a strong element of [Christianity] has been

introduced into our Masonic system…[T]here is an obvious correspondence…between this story

[of Hiram Abif] and the story of the death of the Christian Master related in the Gospels….In the

one case the Master is crucified between the two thieves; in the other he is done to death between

two villains” (http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/wilmshurstfr.html). In this way, the

Essenic thought which likely affected Jesus was then introduced to Europe and incorporated into

Freemasonry. This transfer of principles is especially evident in the attitude each group has

towards its members and towards those in need.

Within the Essenic, Masonic, and Christian institutions there is an emphasis on

community. In his historical account entitled The Jewish War, the ancient writer Josephus notes

that the Essenes had an incredible love for one another that “is greater than that of the other

Jewish sects. On the arrival of any [member] of the sect from elsewhere, all the resources of the

community are put at their disposal, just as if they were their own” (Jones 6). In the Qumran

Damascus Document, the Essenes are instructed to “love each man his brother as himself…

and…seek each man the well-being of his brother” (Beall 37). This is akin to Christ’s second

greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:29). In the biblical book

of Acts, the early Christians “had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods,

they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44-45). Likewise, Masons hold “fidelity to [their]

with prostitutes and sinners (Ginsburg 24).

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brothers” as a principle of utmost importance (Thomas 2). While in a Lodge, Masons refer to

each other as Brothers and restrict the “discussion of both religion and politics, in order to help

attain” unity (Taylor 54). They have secret handshakes by which they can readily recognize each

other, and are to give aid to a fellow Mason in need (Taylor 156). Internal cohesion is

characteristic of each of these organizations, but there is also an emphasis to show generosity

outside of the institutions as well.

Charity is a highly regarded virtue amongst all three societies. In the Damascus

Document, the Essene is instructed “to support the hand of the needy, the poor, and the stranger”,

and gives a “wage of at least two days per month…to the overseer and the judges to be used to

meet the needs of the poor and needy, the homeless, and other indigent people” (Beall 50). In the

Bible, the Christian is taught that the “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless

is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). In Masonry, charity is

“justly denominated [to be] the leading characteristic of a Freemason’s heart” (Lomas 69). The

Freemason is told to “act towards your fellow humans…by offering support and charity to the

distressed in such a manner as you would expect them to behave to you were you ever to be in

need” (Lomas 374). Thus, philanthropy is an essential element to the doctrine of each of these

orders.

The theory that the Jewish Essenes were the institutional forefathers of Freemasonry is

based on the similarity of the practices, symbols, and doctrines of both brotherhoods. Through

the process of initiation, both the Essenic and Masonic candidates experience the death of

material desire, the discipline of the mind, and the death of the selfish nature, so that

regeneration and spiritual and moral improvement may occur. The apron, which represents

purity, is used as a symbol in both brotherhoods. Through Christianity, the value of the virtue of

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charity, both towards fellow members as well as towards those in need, was passed down from

Essene theology to the Masonic creed. It is as the Mason Ken Thomas wrote in his lecture to his

Brethren at the Grand Lodge of Manitoba:

Freemasonry, in the broader sense, in the sense of a brotherhood of like

minded men, founded on a belief in a Supreme Being, following the highest of

principles and dedicated to the pursuit of the spiritual and moral improvement of

self and of others, in this sense, Freemasonry has existed since time immemorial.

This is our true linkage to the ancient Essenes. (38)

While the Essenes and the Masons share the virtues of selflessness, purity, self-

improvement, and charity, traces of these values are not exclusive to these societies and in fact

exist in most of the religions of the world. Such virtues will continue to be passed down from

generation to generation, from worldview to worldview, and from society to society, as long as

the seeking of betterment is implicit in human nature. Nonetheless, one can imagine how a

theory directly connecting the Essenes and Freemasons came about.

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