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    STUDIA THEOLOGIA%20REFORMATA%20TRANSYLVANICA - Issue no. 1-2 / 2006  
         
  Article:   FEMALE MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY OF TH ERAPEUTAE (PHILO OF ALEXANDRIA: DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA) / NŐI TAGSÁG AZ EGYIPTOMI THERAPEUTÁK KÖZÖSSÉGÉBEN ALEXANDRIAI PHILÓN DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA C. MŰVE ALAPJÁN.

Authors:  ADORJÁNI ZOLTÁN. 		 
       
         
  Abstract:  Women Membership in the Community of Therapeutae. (Philo of Alexandria: De vita contemplativa).Most of the scientists adopt the view that the Essenes’ feasts had sacral character and that they replaced the church feast connected to offering a sacrifice.The Therapeuthai community on Mareia-lakeside considered by Philo to be“the most admirable” can be compared above all to the Essenes of Qumran.On this site there lived women who took a vow of chastity, who led the sameway of life as men. This phenomenon proves that the Hellenistic entourageaccepted feminine perfection if women disdained the pleasures of the fleshand they assumed chast ity not only of their free will but also due to their devotion to wisdom, so they “gave birth” not to mortals but to spiritual successors:spiritual and immortal fruit yielded by God’s beloved servant (68. §).Engagement to God, that is chastity offered to God was not strange to Jewish mysticists. This mysterious union was not possible for men exclusively.We read in Philo’s De cherubim that Sarah, Lea, Rebecca and Zipporahalso shared in this and therefore they can be considered chaste again(40–52). Th is community having monastic character on the Mareotis-lakeside,the site of “the most admirable” raised the scale of genuine devotion notonly to celibacy but it also founded the institution of women chastity.  
         
     
         
         
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