The Essenes were a Judaic religious group that flourished around 2,000 years ago. They lived primarily a communal life in Roman Judea, Israel, and were dedicated to asceticism, voluntary poverty and daily purification rituals. Some scholars assert that they were direct descendants of the Zadokite Priests, who were themselves, descendants of Eleazar, Moses' nephew.
It is thought that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls - sections of the Hebrew Bible that were written around 300 B.C.E. and discovered in 1946, hidden in several caves in the Dead Sea area, Southern Israel. Furthermore, some suggest that they were involved in the development of the Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism.
Experts believe the Essenes were wiped out by the Romans during the first century C.E.
Essene was created using archival, lightfast acrylic ink, and 24 karat gold leaf, on museum quality, cradled wooden panel.
