By Ofri Ilani : Scholar: The Essenes, Dead Sea Scroll 'authors,' never existed
Talkback
Title: Hamas as Today`s Essenes Name: Binyamin City: Orangeburg State: NY
Not a perfect analogy, to be sure. But consider, both are political/religious movements claiming to be more religiously pure that the dominant group within their religion; both claim legitimacy by being fighters against rather than collaborators with, the occupying power; both are besieged and isolated.