INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSENES

Were the thoughts of Plato and Socrates, the beliefs of Christianity and Judaism not harmonized with Hindu Philosophy: were Yoga and its previous stages not exposed to Western thought; had Western religion and philosophy not been exposed to the philosophy and religion of the East ... how much the poorer would human thought have been!

Since nobody can interfere in the realm of God, we should tolerate and live side by side with those of other faiths. In the mystic traditions of the different religions, we have a remarkable unity of spirit. Whatever religion we may profess, we are spiritual kinsmen. While the different religions in their historic form bind us to limited groups and militate against the development of loyalty to the world community, the mystics have already stood for the fellowship of humanity ... in harmony with the spirit of the mystics of ages gone by. No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of God. However wise or however mighty a person may be, he is like a ship without a rudder if he is without God.

—H.I.M. Haile Sellassie I

The Essenes of All Ages

Existence as we know it is a cycle, a constant evolutionary process with no break. There are peak moments in this sequence, such as the expression of the Mashiakh in the material realm, which represent paradigm shifts. In some cultures individuals who embody such shifts are called Avatars or Buddhas. These mystic manifestations enrich our lives still today, and shape the history of the world, as in the case of the order of the Essenes.

There is evidence that all religions preceding Rastafari contributed to the unfolding of the Essene cycle, and share responsibility for where it has led today. Life has been happening according to a plan of cause and effect that has been continuously unfolding from before the beginning of time, and is the reservoir of universal wisdom that gave Yahowshua, an Essene prophet, the authority to declare that before Abraham was, I AM.

This dynamic universal teaching from beyond the distant past, which is timeless in its application and ageless in its wisdom, has benefited humanity as a standard by which to live in Divine consciousness. It is the theological blueprint upon which the Hamitic, Shemitic and Kushitic kingdoms were built, and traces of it can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphs within the heart of the pyramids dating back some eight to ten thousand years. Many of the elemental symbols, such as those for the sun, moon, air, water and other natural forces, are from an even earlier age, the Atlantean civilization, which preceded the cataclysm that ended the predominately Kemetic period.

It is unknown for how many thousands of years this teaching existed previous to that. But we do know that its traditions are present with us today, via the sages and mystics who have lived throughout the ages. Many are credited with contributing to this mystic practice of the Essenes, but the name of Enoch surfaces as the cornerstone of the Essenes' ancient Hebraic monotheistic order.

Enoch

Enoch, whose Hebrew name means initiator, founder or teacher, is declared in the Bible to have been the first prophet, seven generations from Adam. He is the one to whom all the mysteries were revealed. His revelations gave birth to the concepts of the Tree of Life, astronomy, angelology, the promise of the Mashiakh, and the imminent clash of good and evil forces classically known as the apocalypse.

Enoch handed these teachings down to his children:

And now, my children, I know all things, for this is from the Lord's lips, and this my eyes have seen from beginning to end. I know all things, and have written all things into books, the heavens and their end, and their plenitude, and all the armies and their marchings.

The Secrets of Enoch ch. 40, vv. 1, 2

The Book of Enoch was virtually unknown to Europe for nearly a thousand years. James Bruce discovered it in Ethiopia and brought three copies, written in Ge'ez, home to Scotland in 1773.

He wrote:

Amongst the articles I consigned at the library at Paris, was a very beautiful and magnificent copy of the prophecies of Enoch, in large quarto; another is amongst the books of Scripture, which I brought home, standing immediately before the Book of Job, which is its proper place in the Abyssinian Canon; and a third copy I have presented to the Bodleian Library at Oxford by the hands of Dr. Douglas, the Bishop of Carlisle.

by James Bruce, Travels, vol. ii, quoted by Richard Laurence in his edition of Enoch p. xiv

James Bruce was a Scottish explorer, scholar and writer, and a Freemason. He was said to be from the lesser aristocracy, of the Kinnaird family, from which he inherited enough of a fortune to facilitate his passion for overseas journeys. He traveled to Ethiopia in 1768 in search, he said, of the source of the Blue Nile. However, this was a mere façade covering up his hidden agenda of finding out what became of the Ark of the Covenant. Over a period of seven years he managed to carry out a meticulous study, documented in his journals, of the faith of the Falashas, a group of mysterious Ethiopian Jews. During this period he also discovered some very rare and ancient Ethiopian manuscripts, namely the Kebra Negast and the Book of Enoch. These books James Bruce literally stole from amongst the royal treasures at Gondar and brought back to Europe.

Yet the priceless manuscript of the Book of Enoch, destined to reveal the forgotten source of many Christian dogmas and mysteries, rested in obscurity for over half a century more, until revealed to the world in 1821 through an English translation by Dr. Richard Laurence, one-time Archbishop of Cashel and professor of Hebrew at Oxford University. Dr. Laurence was apparently unaware that he was giving mankind theological fossils through which we, in the clearer light of our generation, may study the evolution of Christianity.

There I beheld the ancient of days, whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance ... was full of grace, like that of one of the holy angels. Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who shewed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was; and why he accompanied the Ancient of days. He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs; with whom righteousness has dwelt; and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed: for the Lord of spirits has chosen him; and his portion has surpassed all before the Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness.

Book of Enoch ch. XLVI, vv. 1, 2

And trouble shall seize them, when they shall behold this Son of woman sitting upon the throne of his glory. Then shall the kings, the princes, and all who possess the earth, glorify him who has dominion over all things, him who was concealed; for from the beginning the Son of man existed in secret, whom the Most High preserved in the presence of his power, and revealed to the elect. He shall sow the congregation of the saints, and of the elect; and all the elect shall stand before him in that day. All the kings, the princes, the exalted, and those who rule over the earth, shall fall down on their faces before him, and shall worship him. They shall fix their hopes on this Son of man, shall pray to him, and petition him for mercy. Then shall the Lord of spirits hasten to expel them from his presence. Their faces shall be full of confusion, and their faces shall darkness cover. The angels shall take them to punishment, that vengeance may be inflicted on those who have oppressed his children and his elect.

Book of Enoch ch. LXI, vv. 9-14

These passages of the ancient teachings of Enoch undeniably parallel prophetical writings in the Holy Bible, including, among others, the prophetical book of Daniel and the Revelation of St. John the Divine. The Ethiopic Book of Enoch is the oldest record of Enoch in history. It was quoted by the prophets of Old and New Testament times; yet it was omitted from the selection of books from which was compiled the holy scriptures of Western Christianity. However, Enoch was and continues to be part of the Ethiopian canon of Holy Scripture, and all existing versions of this book come from the Ethiopic text.

Enoch was fundamental to the evolution of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Ethiopia, these writings are much more than liturgical texts, they are at the core of Ethiopian Orthodoxy, both Judaic and Christian.

Through many generations, these apocalyptic writings were chronicled and handed down to the time of Moses, who used them to construct a nation of children of light. The people did not keep his ordinances, but a group evolved under the esoteric teachings of this first Law, emerging as the vanguard of all prophetical fulfillments of the Law. This mystical body of people was known in Egypt as Therapeutae or worshippers; in Greece as Esseion and Assaya or physicians; and in Palestine and Syria as Essenes.

The Essenes

The Essenes lived knowing of the Mashiakh as a principle manifest in their communal body, paving the way for the coming of the Mashiakh as a Personality.

The task of this small group was to embody a consciousness that would allow the Anointed to manifest through the womb, so the Essenes surrounded and protected their children. They preserved their collective consciousness by thus raising the children as nazarites, from which resulted the ultimate manifestation, the Christ Child, Yahowshua.

Within the context of a messianic movement, it is the duty of the devotees of the principle to usher in the incarnation of the cosmic Divine ego. The Essenes were the group of consecrated initiates bestowed with the duty of fulfilling the most glorious task, cradling the Christ Child, thus ushering in the Christian faith. In this respect, they were the Christians before the coming of the Christ. The historically recorded entry of the Power of the Mashiakh into the organic structure of the human race — a power the Essenes cradled — gives Christianity its unique distinction from other major world religions.

The Essenes saw that liberation was the destiny of humanity. Therefore the possibility for every individual to work out their salvation and attain their goal by virtue of sublime deeds became the focus of their discipline. At the heart of this mission is the assistance of the Messianic Consciousness in achieving this state, and thus the devotee continues the ministry and teachings of the Messiah (Mashiakh). The Essenes were thus both the forerunners and preservers of the true teachings of the Mashiakh.

They revered the Sun (Son) as a symbol of light and fire. They chanted hymns of praises facing the rising sun, marking a time of communion with the higher realms in keeping with reverence for the Sun as habitation for the Light of the World. They are still famous for their celebrations of the solstices.

The actual name Essene is not found in many of the sacred chronicles because the secretive Essenes were often the ones producing these writings. And so for thousands of years the Essenes have remained in the background, even though they are at the heart of events that continue to reshape the world. Today they are reemerging, revealing the true importance of the contribution they made to the spiritual evolution of humanity, which was clearly seen through the ascension of the Mashiakh to His Throne. This historic apparition stimulated a reincarnation of ancient souls, creating an elect body of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, making them witnesses to the Mashiakh in his second Advent.

The Essenes having always existed in one form or another, even though their teachings may not be acknowledged by many of the historical records. Newly discovered texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library reveal that the Essene Mashiakh, Yahowshua, vastly differs from the Jesus Christ of the King James Version. Although the word Essene does not appear in contemporary translations of the Holy Bible, the presence and teachings of the Essenes are evident in the history of the prophets and judges of Israel, for example, Elijah, Ezekiel and countless others including the prophets of the New Testament. Many of these differences are perfectly preserved in the lifestyle of the present mystics of the Ethiopic glory.

... God is in the generation of the righteous.

Psalm 14, v. 5

The ancient Essenes are mystically present even today and are shaping the direction of the coming age. When a civilization or culture is transitioning from one stage or phase into another, as is the case in our time, matters pertaining to such developments are not only a concern of scholars and scientists, they are for everyone's consideration.

Such cognitions are important when we recapitulate the work of the historical Essenes over 2,000 years ago. They helped to lay the foundations for the dawning of the Piscean Age, which has now drawn to a close. Today we must help lay the foundation for the Aquarian Age.

The Rastafarians: Essenes of Today

Continuing the teachings of Yahowshua, the Priestly Mashiakh, the Rastafarians have emerged as the reincarnated souls of the ancient Essene masters, to become the illuminated heralds of the gospel of the new age. Their pre-Adamic consciousness has come down through the ages, linking time and space, and bringing us to today's natural manifestation, the Essene Nazarite Monastic Order of Melkizadek.

It is not necessary to undergo the experience of Rastafari, nor of any organized religion, to become enlightened. Religions in fact can become huge stumbling blocks to salvation by closing one to the many other ways and means to know God. However, Rastafari, as a manifested way, is one of the quickest paths to immediate enlightenment, in that it forces one to come to grips with the God within humanity, and the Divine connection of all life as part of a whole. But one must first see the God within in order to see the Divinity in another.

Salvation comes through the power of transcendence, which is the vehicle to bliss. Without the power to transcend obstacles, one cannot truly become enlightened. The power of transcendence comes by taking chances, by testing the limits and strength of the boundaries set by the programmed mind: which means one will have to lose one's own mind in order to know oneself.

These writings seek to educate all who seek the truth about the ancient Essenes and the Rastafarians, that peculiar people that chooses to walk the earth in the light of Haile Sellassie I.

Rastafarians encounter all manner of diverse opinions, hearsay and half-truths about themselves, usually from those who see them from the perspective of spectators rather than faithful disciples. Regardless of how sympathetic or empathetic a person is, their ignorance will always handicap their pursuit of understanding. This is true for anything. Therefore the Journey to the Roots of Rastafari is a Journey you must take for yourself.

This is why I accepted the challenge of writing on the subject Rastafari — the object being understanding. After accepting the challenge, I realized I could simply write a few paragraphs outlining the religious cultural expression of the Rastafarians, but this would not even begin to scratch the surface. As a matter of fact, anything I wrote would leave most readers with more questions than answers — which is a step in the right direction.

Throughout this Journey, at various points and at different levels, the origins and focus of the Rastafarians will be discussed. In an attempt to shed more light on the roots of Rastafari, we will discuss in some depth:

1. Ethiopia: The Place

2. The Ark of the Covenant: The Thing

3. Yahowshua ha Mashiakh/Haile Sellassie I: The Man

4. The Rastafarians, Reincarnation of the Ancient Essenes: The People