过去常听一些学者指出，施洗约翰可能与昆兰圣约团体有关联；但今天读到另一位学者提出的理由，指出施洗约翰不太可能与该团体有直接关系。
“昆兰圣约团体”很可能是“爱色尼教派”的一个分支，但两者不能完全划上等号；“爱色尼教派”（Essenes）是一个更广泛的称呼，而“昆兰圣约团体”（Qumran Covenanters）则特指那些生活在昆兰并留下死海古卷的那一群人。
翻译：约翰将在“旷野”中居住，直到他出来施洗，为耶稣公开事工的开展预作预备（路3:2）。尤其是在发现死海古卷之后不久，学者们常常认为“旷野”意味着约翰曾与昆兰圣约团体一同寄居。然而，这一说法并不太可能成立。约翰的父亲是一位圣殿祭司（而昆兰圣约团体常常对圣殿祭司加以批判）；他所穿是先知的装束（而非昆兰的爱色尼派成员所穿的衣服）；他的洗礼是一次性的（而昆兰社区实行每日的洁净沐浴礼）；他呼召所有人悔改（而非仅限昆兰团体所认定的旷野中的选民）；他也没有要求昆兰团体所要求的那种严格律法遵守。作者：Edwards, J. R.
John will dwell “in the wilderness” until his appearance to baptize in preparation for Jesus’ public ministry in 3:2. Especially in the immediate aftermath of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars often suggested that “wilderness” implied a sojourn of John with the Qumran Covenanters. This is unlikely. John’s father was a temple priest (against whom the Covenanters polemicized); his dress was that of a prophet (not of an Essene); his baptismal ablution was administered but once (not daily as at Qumran); he called all to repentance (not simply the desert elect); and he did not require the same (degree of) legal observance as did the Covenanters. Edwards, J. R.
