Also, although of this Miriam knew nothing, they held higher and more secret services wherein they invoked the presence of their "angels," and by arts of divination that were known to them, foretold the future, an exercise which brought them little joy.

But as yet, however evil might be the omens, none came to molest their peaceful life, which ran quietly towards the great catastrophe as often deep waters swirl to the lip of a precipice.
At length when Miriam was seventeen years of age, the first stroke of trouble fell upon them.
From time to time the high priests at Jerusalem, who hated the Essenes as heretics, had made demands upon them that they should pay tithe for the support of the sacrifices in the Temple.

This they refused to do, since all sacrifices were hateful to them.

So things went on until the day of the high priest Ananos, who sent armed men to the village of the Essenes to take the tithes.

These were refused to them, whereon they broke open the granary and helped themselves, destroying a great deal which they could not carry away.