▁Orig ins ▁in ▁ancient ▁Jewish ▁tradition ▁Since ▁before ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁' Book ▁of ▁Gi ants ' ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁' Middle ▁Iran ian ' ▁work ▁( which ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁now ▁believe ▁was ▁written ▁originally ▁in ▁' E astern ▁Ar ama ic ') ▁that ▁circul ated ▁among ▁the ▁Man ich ae ans ▁as ▁a ▁composition ▁attributed ▁to ▁Man i ▁( c . ▁AD ▁ 2 1 6 ▁– ▁ 2 7 4 ) ▁— ▁a ▁Par th ian ▁citiz en ▁of ▁southern ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁who ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁follow er ▁of ▁El kes ai , ▁a ▁Jewish - Christ ian ▁proph et ▁and ▁vision ary ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁century . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars , ▁conc ord ant ▁with ▁supporting ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁ancient ▁sect ' s ▁ge ographical ▁distribution , ▁have ▁pos ited ▁both ▁gen etic ▁and ▁rit ual - custom ▁similar ities ▁between ▁the ▁El ces ait es ▁and ▁the ▁earlier ▁Second ▁Temple ▁Jewish ▁sect ▁of ▁the ▁Ess enes ▁( E ss a io i ▁' S ain ts '). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁finds ▁shed ▁considerable ▁light ▁on ▁the ▁literary ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Gi ants . ▁The ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁publication ▁by ▁W . ▁B . ▁Hen ning ▁of ▁the ▁Man ich ae an ▁fragments ▁from ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Gi ants ▁discovered ▁at ▁Tur fan ▁in