In composing Chapter 3 of his Gospel, Mark has apparently modeled his story of Jesus

founding his Church by the Sea of Galilee on the founding of the Essene Community at

Qumran on the Dead Sea by the Teacher of Righteousness a century and a half earlier.

© Sidney A. Martin II

April 23, 2001

The Teacher of Righteousness founds his Community on the shores of the Dead Sea.	Jesus founds his Church on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
The Essenes split with the Pharisees over support for the Hasmoneans. During the Hasmonean revolt, many pious Jews are killed when they refuse to fight in self-defense on the Sabbath; Mattathias teaches that, “If anyone attacks us on the Sabbath day, let us fight against him and not all die, as our brothers died in the hiding-places.” (1 Macc. 2:29-41; Ant. § 272-277) God has saved the Teacher “from the zeal of lying interpreters, and from the congregation of those who seek smooth things” (Pharisees), “whom they planned to destroy by spilling his blood” because he served God. (1QH X 31-32; 4QpPs^a II 18-20)	The Pharisees watch Jesus in the synagogue to trap him on the Sabbath. Jesus asks whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill. (Mark 3:4-5) The Pharisees plot with the Herodians about how to destroy Jesus. (6)
The Teacher of Righteousness organizes his Community at Qumran. Teacher of Righteousness withdraws with his disciples to the shores of the Dead Sea. He is a “snare to those who rebel, but healing to those of them who repent.” (1QH X 9) The Council of the Community includes 12 men “perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law” who are to “preserve the faith in the Land.” (1QS VIII 1-3)	Jesus founds his Church on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus and his disciples withdraw to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. (7) Jesus heals many who believe in him of their scourges. (10) Jesus appoints 12 men whom he calls “apostles” (missionaries) who are to preach and drive out “demons” (false doctrines). (11-15)
The Teacher faces opposition over his dissident community. All his friends and brethren are driven far from him and hold him for a “broken vessel” (crack pot). He has become a “dispute and quarrelling to my friends, wrath to the members of my Covenant and murmuring and protest to all my companions.” (1QH XII 9; XIII 22-25) The Wicked Priest from Jerusalem pursues the Teacher of Righteousness to “the house of his exile that he might confuse him with his venomous fury.” 1QpHab XI 4-5 The Teacher is Lord of the Dwelling at Qumran. The second in command is the “Prince” of the Congregation. To the Orthodox establishment, the Teacher’s religion is “demonic.” (CD VII 20; 1 Q Sb V 20) The Wicked Priest appears before them when they are celebrating the Day of Atonement according to the Teacher’s 364-day calendar. (1 QpHab XI 3-8) The numerical value of Satan in Hebrew (ha-satan) is 364. Satan has no power on the 365^th day, which is the (Orthodox) Day of Atonement. (Yoma 20a) According to their “blasphemous mystic lore”, the Teacher is celebrating Satan’s holiday! (4QMMT 2; 1QH XIII 36; 1Q Myst I 2)	Jesus likewise is opposed by the Jewish authorities. The associates of Jesus come to take him away because they think he is out of his mind. (20-22) The scribes come down from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. (22) The leaders of Israel accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzeboul, Lord of the (Demons’) Dwelling and casting out demons by the “Prince” of Demons. (22) Jesus calls his followers aside and speaks to them in parables. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” Jesus asks. (23)
The Teacher survives the persecution. It is his opponents who will be defeated. The Hasmonean kingdom and dynasty will be divided in a civil war, and Hasmonean rule will end when Pompey conquers the country. Aristobulus, Greek for “noble council,” or in Hebrew “etsah ha-tsedek”, which equals 364 or “Satan”, revolts against his brother, Hyrcanus, and is poisoned by Pompey’s party. (Ant. 14 § 4-124; War 1 § 120-83; 1QpHab IX 5-7) The Wicked Priest plundered the goods of the Poor (Essenes). The Teacher was tied with ropes and bound with chains. (1QpHab XII 2-10; 1QH XIII 36-37) Forgiveness is only for the sons of man to whom God has made known his mysteries. Those who deny that the Teacher of Righteousness has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal the secrets of the prophets will be destroyed. (1QpHab II 1-10;VII 4-5; VIII 1-3;1QH XII 9-37; XIV 8-10; XV 26-31; XIX 9-11; XX 10-13; 1QS VII 15-6; CD II 3 – III 20; V 11-15; 4QpPs^a III 11-3)	Jesus similarly overcomes this crisis and predicts that good will overcome evil. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, the kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, the house cannot stand. And if Satan rises up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but has an end.” (24-26) No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. (27) All the sins and blasphemies committed by the sons of men will be forgiven but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit by saying that Jesus is inspired instead by an unclean spirit will never be forgiven. (28-29)
The Qumran Community is a family of faith under God and the Teacher. The Teacher is like an orphan, “for my father knew me not and my mother abandoned me to Thee.” God is a father to all the sons of truth, and like a woman who tenderly loves her babe, the Teacher himself “a father to the sons of grace, and as a foster-father to men of marvel.” (1QH XV 20-21; XVII 35)	The Galilean church likewise replaces the conventional kinship structure. When his mother and brothers come to see him, Jesus says that anyone instead who does the will of God are his brother and sister and mother. (31-35)

The Qumran Community arose out of the conflicts in the second century BC between Jewish fundamentalists on the one hand and those who wanted to abandon the Law and adopt Greek culture on the other. The Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, outlawed Judaism, and Mattathias, a priest, led a revolt and was joined by the pious Hasideans. The sons of Mattathias founded the Hasmonean dynasty and established an independent Jewish state. The Hasmoneans assumed the title of High Priest and King. They were supported by the moderate Hasideans, who became the Pharisees, while the extreme Hasideans, who became the Essenes, rejected the Hasmonean state, and established an isolated settlement at Qumran on the Dead Sea, under the leadership of the Teacher of Righteousness, who claimed to be divinely inspired to interpret the Scriptures. His followers formed a type of religious cult which considered itself the only true Israel and viewed other Jews as little more than Pagans. The identity of the participants and the chronology of events is disputed. Although not essential to this interpretation of Mark’s Gospel, it is my opinion that the early Essenes began as a sect under Jonathan, ca 152 BC. The Teacher of Righteousness, according to the Damascus Document, arose twenty years later, in the reign of John Hyrcanus (135-104), while the persecution of the Teacher occurred under Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BC), “the Wicked Priest” who confronted the Teacher at Qumran as recorded in the Commentary on Habakkuk, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is Alexander’s sons, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, who, following the death of their mother, Alexandra Salome, plunged to kingdom into civil war.