PRE-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: THE ESSENES
Contrast between religious ideas of Greeks and Jews—Fate of Jews under
Alexander’s Successors and Maccabaean Wars—Josephus’ account of the
Essenes—Its accuracy shown by Philo and others—Improbable views as to
their origin—Essenes essentially Gnostics—Their secret teaching—The
Enochian Apocalypses described—The Messianic delusions of the Jews in
Roman times—Books of Enoch, etc.—Essene method of interpreting
Scripture, isopsephism, and Cabala—Later history of Essenes—Survival of
their exegetical methods among Gnostics . . . 149-171