Folia Theologica 18. (2007)
László Boda: Whether John the Baptist Could Have Been Educated at Qumran? - Johs and Bannus
68 L. BODA pression: " the man of pit") while the arrangement of tracks means the conversion. As we say even at present that a player or a sport team in some part of the play "is in the pit", i.e. plays without success23. The analogy of John the Baptist that refers to the threshing-floor and burning the chaff may also be related to Qumran. Presumably, he gained the relevant knowledge in some Essenian farm; in fact, according to the rules of sect, he also had to work if he was educated at Qumran. In his self-dependent life, however, he adapted himself in respect of both his clothing and meal as did Bannus to his more strict ascetic manner of life and the environmental possibilities offered by the poor crops of the land. "Locust" - there are opinions that this may corresponds to "St. John's bread" as named after him, and wild honey served for his food. He did not drink either wine or other alcoholic drinks; although, according to the Qumranian rules of sect, wine was also served for meal. According to Professor Komoróczy, this drink could be considered some kind of must rather than "alcoholic drink". This, however, is questionable: in fact, how long could the fermentation be suppressed under the local climatic conditions? Or even, the "locust" and "wild honey" is expressly prohibited in the rules laid down in the rolls, however, only for the residents. Perhaps, this disturbed the judgement of certain experts of qumranology when they were doubtful about John's connection with Qumran. This, however, is judged in another way by some excellent researchers, namely: Roland de Vaux, Harding, Cross and others, together with a significant part of Catholic Bible researchers24. As soon as in the sixties, the Hungarian Bible-expert Professor Andor Szörényi, was of the opinion that: "St. John the Baptist was accurately familiar with the teaching of the Essenian sect of Chirbet Qumran and used it in his preaches".25 23 Prof. Ida Fröhlich interprets the word “man of the pit” in the followingreason: it means the sons of death or of the perdition. Hungarian translation of the Qumran-Scrolls. Budapest, 1998. Studia Orientalia ed. 54. 24 Among others i.D. AMUSSIN (Russian origins) writes about this in his book entitled: The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran-Community, Budapest, 1986, Gondolat ed. (Hungarian translation). Of course there are some Qumran-Re- searchers of sceptical opinion, too with various discussions. 25 Cf. Vigilia (a Hungarian monthly), 1956, 342.
