The term 'Essene' is a crossword solution for the word 'ASCETIC', which means someone who practices self-denial and abstains from worldly pleasures. The Essenes were an ancient Jewish sect that lived in the Middle East during the Second Temple period, from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE. They were known for their strict religious observance and ASCETIC lifestyle. They believed in the imminent arrival of the Messiah and practiced communal living, sharing their possessions and living in harmony with nature.