, “That the two were organically related, it is scarcely reasonable to question. The early Christian sacrament was the Essenic sacrament with, perhaps, some Christian adaptations.” As was the case for the early Christians, the Essenes had a custom of baptism: “Baptism and lustrations played an important part in their purificatory ceremonials, accompanied by liturgies emphasising the need for spiritual cleanliness.” While the Essenes of Qumran performed daily rituals of purification in their baths, the Christian tradition involved only one baptismal ceremony. However, what must be noted here is that both sects used baptism for initiating members into a brotherhood awaiting the coming Messiah: this underlying principle is identical in both groups. As we have seen the Qumran Essenes and primitive Christians shared a similar leader-figure, as well as many organizational and ceremonial likenesses. A further parallel may be drawn between the two groups through an examination of their central religious and eschatological leanings. As was mentioned earlier, both groups shared a belief that made them radically different from the other Jewish followings at the time – both awaited the coming of a Messiah as they lived in the “last days” before the “last Judgement.” The Essenes were “certain of the imminence of the victory of the Sons of Light over the Sons of Darkness. It will occur on the day pre-ordained by God.” The Christians similarly believed that the cosmic discord of their time would soon culminate in a decision, or the Judgement of God. According to Davies, “they [the Essenian and Christian sects] believed they were hastening towards a cataclysmic consummation, after which would come the realm of God, inaugurated by the ‘Anointed One’…of Jehovah.” Both groups lived a life of preparation, for the end of the world order they knew,...
