The _Etymologies_ of the names _Essæi_, or _Esseni_, i.e. _Essenes_, are divers, that which I prefer is from the _Syriake_ אסא _Asa_, signifying θεραπεύειν to heal, or cure Diseases. Hence[148] are the men so often termed, θεραπευταὶ and the women amongst them, θεραπευτρίδες, that is, _Physicians_. For though they gave themselves chiefly to the study of the _Bible_ yet withal they studied _Physick_.
[148] _Joseph. de bello Judaic. lib. 2. c. 12. p. 786._
Of these _Essenes_ there were two sorts, some _Theoricks_, giving themselves wholly to _speculation_; others _Practicks_, laborious and painful in the daily exercise of those _handy-crafts_, in which they were most skilful. Of the latter, _Philo_ treateth in his book entituled, _Quod omnis vir probus_: Of the former, in the book following, entituled, _De vita contemplativa_.
Their _Dogmata_, their _Ordinance_, or _Constitutions_, did symbolize in many things with _Pythagoras_ his, where they do agree. Therefore my purpose is, first to name _Pythagoras_ his; and then to proceed on with the _Essenes_. They follow thus.
The[149] _Pythagoreans professed a communion of goods_: _So the Essenes_.[150] _they had one common purse or stock_, none richer, none poorer than other; out of this common treasury, every one supplyed his own wants without leave, and administred to the necessities of others: only they might not relieve any of their kindred without leave from their Overseers. They did not buy or sell among themselves, but each supplyed the others want, by a kind of commutative bartring: yea, liberty was granted to take one from another what they wanted, without exchange. They performed Offices of service mutually one to another; for mastership and service cannot stand with communion of goods: and servants are commonly injurious to the state of their Masters, according to that saying of _R. Gamaliel_,[151] _He that multiplyeth servants, multiplieth thieves_. When they travelled, besides weapons for defence, they took nothing with them, for in whatsoever City or Village they came, they repaired to the Fraternity of the _Essenes_, and were there entertained as members of the same. And if we do attentively read _Josephus_, we may observe that the _Essenes_ of every City joyned themselves into one _common Fraternity_ or _Colledge_. Every Colledge had two sorts of Officers: _First_, _Treasurers_, who looked to the common stock, provided their diet, appointed each his task, and other publick necessaries. Secondly, _Others, who entertained their strangers_.