Therapeutae

The Therapeutae were a Jewish sect in Hellenistic Egypt described by Philo of Alexandria in the first century CE. The name, Greek for “attendants” or “servants,” is used by Philo to designate a community devoted to contemplation and the healing of the soul through spiritual practice.

Location and organization: Philo places the Therapeutae near Alexandria, along the shores of Lake Mareotis, living in a network of houses arranged around a common synagogue and study hall. They were organized under a senior teacher or “doctor” of the Law, and participation in the life was open to both men and women.

Practices and emphasis: They pursued a life of contemplation and restraint, devoting themselves to prayer, study of the Torah, and meditation on divine matters. Their daily routine combined study and worship within a framework of ritual purity and disciplined conduct, guided by interpretation of scriptural texts.

Relationship to other groups: The Therapeutae are known primarily from Philo’s account, and scholars debate their exact relation to other Second Temple groups, particularly the Essenes. Some scholars identify them with the Essenes, while others treat them as a distinct community with its own practices.

Legacy and scholarship: The Therapeutae are frequently cited in discussions of Jewish asceticism and contemplative life in the late Second Temple period. They are sometimes invoked in debates about possible influences on early Christian monasticism, though direct links remain speculative and are not substantiated by independent sources.