MENAHEM THE ESSENE

MENAHEM THE ESSENE
MENAHEM THE ESSENE (first century B.C.E.), a contemporary of herod , to whom prophetic powers were attributed. Josephus relates how Menahem "had once observed Herod, then still a boy, going to his teacher, and greeted him as 'king of the Jews.'" The pious Essene added, however, that Herod would abandon justice and piety and thus bring upon himself the wrath of God. When Herod had reached the height of his power, he sent for Menahem and questioned him about the length of his reign. Menahem succeeded in satisfying the king, albeit with an ambiguous answer, and hence (according to Josephus) Herod continued to hold all Essenes in honor. L. Ginzberg suggests that Menahem is to be identified with the Menahem mentioned in the Mishnah (Ḥag. 2:2). This Menahem was, together with hillel , one of the heads of the Sanhedrin, who left his post (presumably to join the Essenes) and was succeeded by shammai . There is little evidence, however, to support his view. Talmudic discussions of the Mishnah tend to describe the mishnaic Menahem in terms far more fitting to menahem son of judah the Galilean, a patriot leader during the uprising of 66–70 C.E. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Jos., Ant., 15:373–8; Klausner, Bayit Sheni, 3 (19502), 115; 4 (19502), 148; A. Schalit, Koenig Herodes (1969), 459; L. Ginzberg, On Jewish Law and Lore (1955), 101. (Isaiah Gafni)

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

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  • Menahem the Essene — For the Israelite King, see Menahem (Ben Gadi). For the Khazar ruler of the same name, see Menahem (Khazar). For the medieval poet and philologist, see Menahem ben Saruq. Rabbinical Eras Chazal Zugot Tannaim Amoraim Savoraim Geonim Rishonim… …   Wikipedia

  • Menahem the Essene — (fl. 1st cent BCE)    Israelite seer. He prophesied that Herod would become king but that he would act unjustly and be punished. Later Herod questioned Menahem about how long he would reign …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

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  • JERUSALEM — The entry is arranged according to the following outline: history name protohistory the bronze age david and first temple period second temple period the roman period byzantine jerusalem arab period crusader period mamluk period …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • ESSENES — ESSENES, a religious communalistic Jewish sect or association in the latter half of the Second Temple period, from the second century B.C.E. to the end of the first century C.E. Contemporary or near contemporary descriptions are found in philo… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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  • TEACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS — (Heb. מוֹרֶה צֶדֶק moreh ẓedek), the organizer of the qumran community or Yaḥad . His designation may have been derived from such biblical passages as Hosea 10:12, it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and cause righteousness to rain (yoreh… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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