Celibacy in Old Testament times

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Wretched_one

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What is Jew’s view on celibacy? Did they have saints who sacrificed sex and family and led a separate existence away from family?
Thanks in advance.
 
The Essenes were a Judaic sect that existed at the time of Christ. Some of them observed celibacy. Fr. Mitch Pacwa teaches that the last supper was held in the Essene section of Jerusalem, which is why the Apostles encountered a man carrying a water jug. As we know, in that culture it was normally the women who perfoirmed such tasks (see John 4:5-42), but there were no women among that group of Essenes.
 
The general view in modern Jewish commentaries is that a man is commanded to marry and raise a family. Whether this was the view in OT and / or NT times, I cannot say.

Jesus was unmarried, as far as we can tell from the Bible, and so was St. Paul (if I’m not mistaken).
 
I believe that those who took a nazarite vow would abstain from sex.

The prophet Samuel was a nazarite, as was John the Baptist. Paul took a temporary nazarite vow.

-Tim-
 
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