Essenes

The Essenes was a Jewish religious sect that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. They were opposed to the Pharisees? and Saducees?. They are discussed in some detail by Josephus and Philo Judaeus. Many scholars believe that the community at Qumran that produced the [Dead Sea Scrolls]? was composed of Essenes.

see [1]