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11
their own children a multitude of orphans and outcasts.
Not a single birth took place in the com/miinity, yet
there was no want of population.
Philo states that " they had no desire for mortal pro-
geniture, but yearned for the Immortal Fruit, which only
the pure soul can give birtih to, fertilised by a Divine
ray from the Father."
This passage is most interesting, as it proves that they
were acquainted with the great Central Truth, which
meets us in all divinely inspired religions—viz., the In-
carnation of the Christots in a Virgin Heart.
Pliny, sipeaking of the Essene community established
ou the Dead Sea, calls it " The Marvel of the "World,"
and states that it was a race continuing its existence
for thousands of centuries, per seoulorem millia, without
eitJier wives or children.
Pliilo calls them " The Holy Ones,’’ and states in a
pissage quoted by Euseljius tihat they had been initiated
by Moses into the mysteries of their sect.
ESSENES AND PYTHAGOREANS.
Zeller points out in his " Geschichte der PliilosopJiie
"
what great resemblances there are between the Essenes
and the Pythagoreans, not only as to mode of life, but
also as to doctrine.
Both insisted on strict secrecy about their schools.
Both veiled their doctrines in symbols and metaphors.
Both based tlieir philosophy on allegorial interpreta-
tion of ancient tradlitions, whose authority they recog-
nised.
Both worshipped higher powers in the foxir elements
and offered up prayers to the rising sun.
Both cultivated the belief in intermediate beings
between the Supreme Deity and man.
Both had dualistic views of the retatiomship between
spirit and matter, good and evil.
I might add’ several other points of analogy.
Both venerated the equilateral triangle.
Their dogmas included the Trinity in Unity of God
and the doctrine of the Marriage of Virgins with Deity.
B(Mi the Healersi and the Pythagoreans were absorbed
in the study of the unpronouncable name of Deity, the
Sacred Tetragramraaton, in modern times translated by
the word Jehovah.
The naane of God was no mere distinguishing title. It
represented the entii-e Hebrew conception of the Divine
Nature. The different letters corresponded to the various
attributes of Deity. That is the reason why it is stated
in certain cabalistic writings that the manipulation of
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