The Essenes -- From Jesus to our Time [Paperback]

Olivier Manitara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 21, 1998

This unique book will truly shed some new light on the mystery surrounding the Essene origins of Jesus. An extremely important book for all those who want to learn more about the birth of Christianity, the Essenes, their way of life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Since the archaeological discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946, the word Essene has made its way around the world, often raising a lot of questions. Many people were astonished to discover that, two thousand years ago, a brotherhood of holy men, living together in a community, carried within themselves all of the seeds of Christianity and of future western civilization. This brotherhood, more or less persecuted and ostracized, would bring forth people who would change the face of the world and the course of history. Indeed, almost all of the principal founders of what would later be called Christianity were Essenes, St. Ann, Joseph and Mary, John the Baptist, Jesus, John the Evangelist, etc. -- Anonymous Reviewer

From the Author

From my heart, I dedicate this book to Steven Spielberg for his film "Schindler's List"-which, beyond its historical aspect, shows so clearly what humanity is heading towards if nothing is done to bring about the triumph of the inner light, which turns the physical man into a true Man in spirit and in life. Olivier Manitara.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Telesma Evida Publishing (December 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894341007
• ISBN-13: 978-1894341004
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,180,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A world specialist of the Essenes, and himself an Essene Master, Olivier Manitara transmits the time-honoured wisdom of this ancient people. Author of more than two hundred books, including a teaching series, he also has at his credit hundreds of improvised lectures on the most diverse subjects.
For the past twenty years he has been providing a precious, rare, and personally experienced teaching. He facilitates intensive training seminars, and gives lectures in Europe, Africa, and America. A simple man, genuine and concrete, he knows how to reconcile the two worlds, that of matter, and that of the spirit.
He is a member of the French Society of Writers, a Messenger for the "Culture of Peace Manifesto" of the UNESCO, and participates in the Meditation Room of the United Nations.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A journey through the past., November 25, 1999

By 

francois schott (Bonny Doon, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essenes -- From Jesus to our Time (Paperback)

This book helps us to understand the importance of the Essenes 2000 years ago and their impact on our modern civilization -eventhough the conventionnal Catholic Church would try to deny it :)

We discover that the idea of living together as brotherhood-sisterhood, is a concept that has been existing way before John Lennon. It's easy if we'd try...

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A living perspective -- I thoroughly enjoyed this book, February 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Essenes -- From Jesus to our Time (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Essenes", a subject I have always been interested in reading about. I read many books on the Essenes, and this one offers a living, inner perspective. It is not an academic, dead work. The author found the living spirit of the Essenes, and reveals their rules of life, their organization, their principles. Deeply interesting.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hold onto your money, November 26, 2001

By 

blue jaguar (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Essenes -- From Jesus to our Time (Paperback)

I am interested in the Essenes and really wanted to like this book.

Olivier claims that from Enoch (aka Hermes, Thoth, etc) just about every avatar (Buddha, Zoaraster, Mohammed, Jesus, etc.) was an Essene. For much of this book a nebulous whispy spirituality is presented and the fruits of all enlightment are known from Enoch only through the Essenes. Olivier should know that current thinking is that Quamram were probably not Essenes at all. In short, the fluffiness of this book (claims without substantiation), tells almost nothing verifiable about the Essenes.

What it does claim in detail would have been revealed by texts somehow not destroyed by the evil 'church of St. Peter' which somehow missed thosed texts. The evidence is neither from the Dead Sea Scrolls but from revelation spiritually to Olivier. These two extremes, non-specific bantering (in the spirit of I'm OK, you're OK, I'm spiritual, wheee) to specifics with no substantation leave no middle way (a term familiar to Buddhists).

On the back cover Manitara claims that 'Only techniques can liberate man..' But his writing is largely unspecific and borders on the style of creative fantasy. This seems like a marketing piece by Oliver. It leaves you unsatisfied enough to wonder what he might be holding back so you might make the mistake of spending more money and time for the same fluffiness.

There are other sources of information on the Essenes. But unfortunately there are no writings (that this writer is aware of) that can be considered authentically Essene. This includes this book or the works of Szekely. The Gospel Of The Holy Twelve is held up as an authentic Aramaic/Essene text but the reader will need to decide that for themseves.

You are better off sticking with sources based on Dead Sea Scroll texts. But keep in mind those writings are in no way guaranteed to be Essene. The Essenes are a great concept but unless more texts are found their legacy has been lost to history. What people are creating today and saying is authentic 'Essene' is at best creative re-construction (based on 'Essene Gospel of Peace' which is of unverified authenticity) and at worst imagination.