First Glance

Many parallels strike us between the lifestyle and the philosophy of John the Baptist and that of the Essenes, the Jewish sect most prominently associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. These similarities prompt Otto Betz to ask “Was John the Baptist an Essene?” Among the parallels are John’s opposition to the Jerusalem authorities and his ascetic life in the desert. On the other hand, the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, who speaks of both John and the Essenes, does not explicitly link them. Betz weighs the pros and cons and comes to the conclusion that John was probably at least raised in the Essene tradition.

Specializing in New Testament, Apocrypha and post-biblical studies, Betz held various church positions in West Germany from 1953 through 1961. He moved into academia thereafter, serving as professor of New Testament at Chicago Theological Seminary from 1962 to 1967 and teaching New Testament and ancient Judaism at the University of Tübingen in Germany from 1967 until his retirement in 1983. He has also published seven books and has lectured at several universities in the United States, Canada, Japan and Korea.