The Fourth Philosphy, the DSS sect and Christianity

[John2]

I'm at the library today so I was able to save these notes elsewhere and I'll try to hang something on them as I get time. The premise in a nutshell is that Josephus says that there was nothing like the Fourth Philosophy in Judaism until the first century CE, so if the DSS are like the Fourth Philosophy then they must be from the first century CE. And if Jewish Christianity is like the DSS, then it must be connected to the Fourth Philosophy.

[outhouse]

(and that the Fourth Philosophy gave birth to Jewish Christianity).

Do you have any information or details that could separate Zealots from that equation??

For me the only way to have an Essene connection would to prove John was a student, and then Jesus took over Johns movement.

But even that leaves a challenge because Christianity was in fact the Hellenistic divorce of Israelite Judaism by Diaspora Hellenist who found value in the theology that was generated around the martyrdom after crucifixion.

Now I think you might also need to address that the DSS sect was not just that particular sect, but a branch of Judaism all through Israel by the reports we have providing our limited evidence. Add to this we have conflicting reports from Pliny and Josephus.

[outhouse]

Maybe a better question is what exactly was Aramaic Galilean Judaism and was Zealot a Hellenistic term only given to the pious Jews who adhered to the laws much more closely then Hellenist?

Were communities of Zealots viewed as Essenes just because they lives more of a communal life ?

[outhouse]

"Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more" (2 Cor. 11:22-23).

To me this is simply the battle between Pauls Hellenistic communities trying to claim authority over the Hellenistic Jerusalem sects that adhered the laws tighter and claimed apostolic authority.

It has little to do with defining any sect.