Folia Theologica 18. (2007)
László Boda: Whether John the Baptist Could Have Been Educated at Qumran? - Johs and Bannus
62 L. BODA ate way of life between the Essenians within the walls and the "external members" (approx, as the "Tertiaries" in the Christian monastic orders). This is the true riddle! While recalling the caves of the desert, the sole answer - that can be supported by historical data - to this problem is: Bannus, the cave-dwelling hermit teachers mentioned by Josephus Flavius. For the very reason of their fragmentary form, the Qumranian rules of sect fail to tell everything and, due to their earlier dating, they are unable to cover later amendments and changes. Let us think the changes that occurred after the initially quiet Hassids under the effect of the historical situation in case of Essenians originated from Hassids, in respect of their ideas relating to the war, which is described in the Roll of Wars16. In the premonitory signs of war with Kittim-Romans, Josephus also mentions an Essenian leader. It can also be cleared up that Eleaser, the last commander of Masada was also educated by the Essenians. Whether it is possible that the leaders of the Qumranian community also took the extraordinary events into account? It seems that, although the internal order of the fortified monastery is rigid, there are more flexible possibilities for the external members. The four-stage internal structure of the fortified monastery is clearly defined. However, the way of life outside the monastery depends on the circumstances. For example, according to the scientists dealing with Qumran, the community of En-Gedi could enjoy some self-dependence. Whether they could provide the possibility of teaching in their region within their spiritual competence to persons who - as a result of their scientific and ascetic way of life - were of outstanding reputation and were in intellectual contact with them without paying regular visits to the community of Qumran (to participate in common praying and meal, respectively)? Whether the cave-dwelling hermit recalled with reverence by Josephus Flavius as his master was a man of this kind?17 In his biography, he described that he has studied with the 16 Cf. 1 QM and to this text: Y. YADIN The Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, Jerusalem, 1957, 2,ed. 17 The Jewish war (3. Hungarian ed. Budapest, 1958, Gondolat ed.) In the final part cf. Autobiography. Josephus mentions that he studied also at the Essenians...’’Then I have heard from a man named Bannus who lived as a hermit in the wilderness ...I became the disciple of this man”.
