Essene or Not Essene?

John the Baptist’s ministry and message bear striking similarities to a sect of Judaism active in the 1st century called the Essenes.1 Like John, the Essenes lived and ministered in the desert at a community called Qumran near the Dead Sea, which archaeologists have unearthed. Like John, and motivated by Isaiah 40:1–3, they separated themselves from the corrupt priesthood in Jerusalem and w