(2 syl.). A sect among the Jews in the time of our Saviour. They
were communists who abjured every sort of fleshly indulgence. They ate
no animal food, and drank only water. Their sacrifices to God were only
fruits of the earth. They kept the Sabbath so strictly that they would
not even wash a plate or rinse a cup on that day. They always dressed
in white, took no part in public matters, but devoted themselves to
contemplative studies. They held the Jewish Scriptures in great
reverence, but interpreted them allegorically.
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