he formative period in Christian history. One of the most exciting discoveries made in the Qumran manuscripts was of a priest character that, at least seemingly, resembles Jesus Christ. The Dead Sea Scrolls revealed the existence of a great religious figure known as the Teacher of Righteousness. This figure bears many striking resemblances to Jesus of Nazareth, though the dates of each figure eliminate any possibility of them being the same person. It has been established that the Teacher of Righteousness lived at least half a century before Jesus, and like Jesus and his disciples, led his followers into a new Mosaic covenant, a return to a strict obedience of the laws of Moses. The facts surrounding the case of the Teacher of Righteousness are few; saysYigael Yadin in his book, The Message of the Scrolls, “[w]e must…be satisfied with the facts about him in the Habakkuk Commentary and the Damascus Covenant. We know he was a priest endowed with the ability to interpret prophecies and to foretell the future events of his people. [He] was persecuted by his foes from inside and outside, and was compelled to flee and live in ‘the house of exile.’” However, from what we do know, the Teacher of Righteousness seems to fulfill a role as pre-cursor to Jesus. Other interpretations of the scrolls see this Teacher persecuted, and even crucified by pagan soldiers, which further parallels his experience with that of Jesus. “[S]ome have asserted that he had been crucified by pagan soldiers… that he had appeared in the Temple after his death, and that his disciples awaited his return in the ‘last days’ for the last Judgement.” This rendition of the Teacher of Righteousness’ ill treatment is almost identical to that of Jesus. Concludes the author, Jean Danilou, “[a]ll this would constitute an ‘Essenian myth’ which later was supposed to have been applied to J...
