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were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans and would
after God submit to mortal men as their lords. This man was a teacher
of a peculiar sect of his own, and was not at all like the rest of those
their leaders.

2. For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers
of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the Sadducees;
and the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called
Essens. These last are Jews by birth, and seem to have a greater
affection for one another than the other sects have. These Essens reject
pleasures as an evil, but esteem continence, and the conquest over
our passions, to be virtue. They neglect wedlock, but choose out other
persons children, while they are pliable, and fit for learning, and
esteem them to be of their kindred, and form them according to their own
manners. They do not absolutely deny the fitness of marriage, and the
succession of mankind thereby continued; but they guard against the
lascivious behavior of women, and are persuaded that none of them
preserve their fidelity to one man.

3. These men are despisers of riches, and so very communicative as
raises our admiration. Nor is there any one to be found among them who
hath more than another; for it is a law among them, that those who come
to them must let what they have be common to the whole order,--insomuch
that among them all there is no appearance of poverty, or excess of
riches, but every one's possessions are intermingled with every other's
possessions; and so there is, as it were, one patrimony among all the
brethren. They think that oil is a defilement; and if any one of them be
anointed without his own approbation, it is wiped off his body; for they
think to be sweaty is a good thing, as they do also to be clothed in
white garments. They also have stewards appointed to take care of their
common affairs, who every one of them have no separate business for any,
but what is for the uses of them all.

4. They have no one certain city, but many of them dwell in every city;
and if any of their sect come from other places, what they have lies
open for them, just as if it were their own; and they go in to such as
they never knew before, as if they had been ever so long acquainted with
them. For which reason they carry nothing at all with them when they
travel into remote parts, though still they take their weapons with
them, for fear of thieves. Accordingly, t