Simon best describes this separation of the Essene from every aspect of Jewish life:

The Essenes . . . separated from the masses, whom they considered to be impure and impious. They . . . separated from the Sadducees who, in their eyes, represented an illegitimate priesthood. They . . . separated from the Pharisees, despite certain affinities of spirit, practice, and doctrine, because in general they exceeded the Pharisees in the strictness and the completeness of their observance of the law. They . . . separated from the Zealots, despite certain belated convergences . . . , because Essenism by nature was not at all a manifestation of militant nationalism. Indeed, the Essenes . . . separated from the totality of the Jews, because they constituted a closed society, with secret rites and esoteric teaching. (Simon, pp. 47, 48)

Josephus identifies two different orders of the Essenes in his day, one who lived in the many cities of Judea who maintained an extended family (though mainly for procreation and not pleasure, since pleasure was considered an evil to be rejected), and another, who, like the Qumran community, were monastic in their order, embracing celibacy entirely. Although archaeology has discovered the remains of a very small number of women buried in an associated cemetery of the Qumran order, it is believed these men did not engage in marital relations. According to their writings, women were not held in very high regard. Josephus reports that "they guard against the lascivious behavior of women, and are persuaded that none of them preserve their fidelity to one man" (Wars 2.8.2, p. 476). Also because of their chosen life of sobriety, their view was that wives "gives the handle for domestic quarrels" and, therefore, they should be avoided. (Antiq.18.1.5, p. 377). This, of course, meant that they had to recruit children from their Jewish brothers to keep their order viable, and it was not uncommon (though not a frequent practice) to see actual adoptions occurring.

Because of our limited space, an in-depth look at the interesting and colorful life of the Essenes is not practical. Such material is readily available to the interested reader at almost any public library, and the number of books available for purchase number in the thousands. Therefore, we will touch briefly only on a limited few of their beliefs, doctrines, practices, and lifestyle.

Among their many beliefs, it should be said that their expectations of an apocalyptic end of history in their lifetime is paramount. This idea flavored every aspect of their life. It was a motive for their being. Study of scripture and an emphasis upon prophecy and its expectant complete fulfillment within their period was a major part of their existence. Quite naturally, then, when one lives their life with the expectancy of the imminent appearance of the messiah who will usher in the end of the ages, daily routine in life will reflect the mentality and spirituality of that believer and their understandings of those expectations.

The purity and piety of these men are said to be as great or greater than those found in Israel at any period in her history. Josephus says of this sect: "It also deserves our admiration, how much they exceed all other men that addict themselves to virtue, and this in righteousness: and indeed to such a degree, that as it hath never appeared among any other men, neither Greeks nor barbarians, no, not for a little time, so hath it endured a long while among them" (Antiq.18.1.5, p.377). As in the beginning with the first Christians in Jerusalem, so strong was their bond and devotion to each other, they had all things common. No one went wanting. Although coins were discovered in their ruins, when they traveled, they carried neither script nor clothing, only a weapon for defense against the many robbers who preyed upon the lonely traveler ( Lk.9:30); for in every cell within every city was a designated one to take them in and provide all things as needed.

Indeed, when a stranger came among them, they were treated with the same manner of respect as shown each other and as expected of one knowledgeable through scripture of God's love for that stranger (cf., Ex.22:21; 23:9; Deu.10:16-19; Job 29:1-25; Js.1:27). Those wishing to join their sect were placed within a three year program of testing and assimilation. If the inductee met their expectations and desired to continue after the first year, he was then baptized and continued in trials two more years, at which time he was fully received into the community, if proven worthy. The new convert was then led through as many as a dozen oaths, all of which reflected extreme loyalty to the group and its doctrines.