ess was ascetic
and it enforced ascetic views of sex and marriage.[2166]

+683. Nazarites, Rechabites, Essenes.+ The Nazarites were Hebrew
ascetics by temporary vow (Num. vi.). They did not cut their hair or
drink wine, and never touched a corpse.[2167] The Rechabites were a
Jewish ascetic association of the ninth century B.C. They renounced the
civilized life of the nation at that time and reverted to the
pre-Canaanite life. They adopted wild dress and coarse food, and
renounced wine. They lived in tents and cultivated Bedouin mores. The
Essenes of the last century before Christ were an ascetic community with
puritan and rigoristic tenets and practices. The laws of Antiochus
Epiphanes that unclean animals might be brought to Jerusalem opened a
chance that faithful Jews might eat of such. The attempt to guard one's
self was made easier if a number had meals in common. This may be the
origin of the custom of the Essenes to have common meals.[2168] The
company cultivated holiness by set rules of life, ritual, washings, etc.
Their philosophy was that fate controls all which affects man.[2169]
They performed no sacrifices in the temple, but had rites of their own
which seemed to connect them with the Pythagoreans. They were "the best
of men," and "employed themselves in agriculture." They thought evil of
all women, and educated children whom they adopted. All who joined the
society gave their property to it and all property was held in
common.[2170] They used rites of worship to the sun. Their asceticism
was derived from their doctrine of the soul's preexistence and its
warfare with the body.[2171] They were stricter than the Pharisees. They
rejected wealth, oaths, sensual enjoyment, and slavery.[2172] They
renounced all occupations which excite greed and injustice, such as inn
keeping, commerce, weapon making.[2173] Sex intercourse was so
restricted that they could not fulfill the primary duties which the law
laid on every man to beget children. Often they were persons who
entered the society after having fulfilled this duty.[2174] They had
extreme rules of Sabbath keeping, food taboo, purification, and extreme
doctrines of renunciation of luxury and pleasure. They either died out
or coalesced with Christians.[2175]

+684. Roman asceticism.+ The primitive Roman mores were very austere,
not ascetic, and the institutions of the family and sex were strictly
controlled by the mores. The Vestal Virgins might be cited as a proo