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| The Jewish Sects.
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Chapter XIII.—The
Jewish Sects.
Originally there prevailed but one usage1024
among the Jews;
for one teacher was given unto them by God, namely Moses, and
one law by this same Moses. And there was one
desert region and one Mount Sinai, for one God it was who legislated
for these Jews. But, again, after they had crossed the
river Jordan, and had inherited by lot the conquered country, they in
various ways rent in sunder the law of God, each devising a
different interpretation of the declarations made by
God. And in this way they raised up for themselves teachers,
(and) invented doctrines of an heretical nature, and they continued to
advance into (sectarian) divisions. Now it is the diversity of
these Jews that I at present propose to explain. But
though for even a considerable time they have been rent into very
numerous sects, yet I intend to elucidate the more principal of them,
while those who are of a studious turn will easily become acquainted
with the rest. For there is a division amongst them into three
sorts;1025
| 1025
See Josephus, De Bell. Judaic. ii. 8, from whom Hippolytus
seems to have taken his account of the Jewish sects, except, as
Schneidewin remarks, we suppose some other writer whom Josephus and
Hippolytus themselves followed. The Abbe Cruice thinks that the
author followed by Hippolytus was not Josephus, but a Christian writer
of the first century, who derived his materials from the Jewish
historian. Hippolytus’ text sometimes varies from the text
of Josephus, as well as of Porphyry, who has taken excerpts from
Josephus work. | and the adherents
of the first are the Pharisees, but of the second the Sadducees, while
the rest are Essenes. These practise a more devotional life,
being filled with mutual love, and being temperate. And they turn
away from every act of inordinate desire, being averse even to hearing
of things of the sort. And they renounce matrimony, but
they take the boys of others, and thus have an offspring
begotten for them. And they lead these adopted children
into an observance of their own peculiar customs, and in this way bring
them up and impel them to learn the sciences. They do not,
however, forbid them to marry, though themselves refraining from
matrimony. Women, however, even though they may be disposed to
adhere to the same course of life,1026
they do not admit, inasmuch as in no way
whatsoever have they confidence in women.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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