Page 40 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

38 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

they believed themselves to be the "Sons of Light" in the service of
the Lord, and were preparing for the struggle with the "Sons of
Darkness." The expression "Sons of Light" also appears in the
Bible. The Essenes, who considered cleanliness paramount, bathed
several times a day, regarded one another as brothers, and valued
brotherly love. One of their core beliefs was that a Messiah (pbuh)
would come.
To sum up, research reveals that the Essenes were a branch of
the Pharisee movement and shared the same beliefs. They aban-
doned the Sadducee's official religion of Judaism and their Torah,
as did the Pharisees, and tried to spread their creed by leading a
modest life. This religious group expected a Messiah, based on the
scriptures that they had, and sought to prepare for his arrival. This