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orion-list Full Suda Translation (rough draft)

This is a regretably tardy response to Russell Gmirken.
Thank you for your references.  The German one will
not be too helpful because I can't even begin to read
German.  I will look into the Vermes book, if I can
match your approximate title to one in Amazon.com.
I will also examine Jerome's Adversus Iovinianum II 14
for that reference you say links Essene vegetarianism
to the Therapeautae.  However, I would like to point
out that the Suda article makes no mention of vegetarianism
per se.  Short this idea of vegetarianism, it seems a bit
of a stretch to conclude the Suda article is merely a 
highly elaborate digestion of Philo's commentary on the
Therapeautae.  Since Philo wrote on the Essenes as well,
would you think it more realistic to think Philo's Essene
commentary was the inspiration.

I will return to Orion with some more information, but 
in the meantime, I offer the full English translation and 
the Greek transliteration below:

SUDA:
"Essenes: Jews, ascetics, who stand quite above [stand
quite aloof from] the Pharisees and Scribes with reference
to their mode of life, the progeny [as in stepchildren] of
Jonadab, son of Rechab the Just One [the Righteous].
 
They are fond of one another and more pious / devout with
respect to the other: these turn away from pleasure as if from an
evil, but take upon themselves as a virtue moderation, self-control,
and the capacity not to succumb to misfortunes. And marriage is
despised among them, but taking to themselves other people's
young children, and teaching them, they consider them, as it
were, kin, and stamp them with their own customs. And
they reject all baseness and practice every other virtue. These
cultivate moral speech, and reflection / contemplation generally
abides [among them]. And from this they are called Essaioi, 
["Sitters"/"Sojourners"?] 	with the name showing this, that is,
that they are 	contemplators.

Thus the Essaioi very much excel and are very much superior
to the Pharisees throughout the country/state.



                                          
> http://www.stoa.org/sol/source/findentry.shtml 
> Contact for Suda Project:
> Ross Scaife <scaife@pop.uky.edu> 
> 
> Epsilon,3123 
> 
> Essaioi: Ioudaioi, asketai, Pharisaion kai grammateon ten
> askesin ex epimetrou dianestekotes, progonoi Ionadab, 
> huiou Rhichab tou dikaiou. philalleloi kai ton allon eulabeis 
> pleion: hoi ten men hedonen hos kakian apostrephontai, ten 
> de sophrosunen kai enkrateian kai to me tois pathesin 
> hupopiptein areten hupolambanousi. kai gamos men par' 
> autois huperoratai, allotrious de paidas neous eti 
> proslambanomenoi kai didaskontes hos sungeneis 
> hegountai kai tois ethesin heauton entupousi.
> 
> kai pan aischron apoballontai kai pasan allen areten 
> exaskousin. hoi epimelountai tes ethikes lexeos, theoriai de 
> ta polla paramenousin. enthen kai Essaioi kalountai, touto 
> delountos tou onomatos, toutesti theoretikoi. hoti Essaioi 
> huperteroi sphodra kai lian huperkeimenoi ton Pharisaion 
> kata ten politeian. 





For private reply, e-mail to George Brooks <george.x.brooks@juno.com>
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