Epiphanius, a
Christian writer of the fourth century CE, discusses a Jewish group that he
dates to before the time of Jesus. Translations
below are adapted from A. Kampmeier, The Pre-Christian Nasareans (1913).
In Anakephalaiosis 134 C he says: "The Nasareans forbid
all flesh-eating; they do not partake of that in which there is life generally;
previous to Moses and Joshua the son of Nun they make use of the holy names of
the patriarchs in the Pentateuch and believe in them, I mean Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob and those before them, as also Moses himself and Aaron and Joshua. But
they teach that the writings of the Pentateuch are not of Moses and affirm to have others
besides these."
In the Epitome he says: "Concerning
Nasareans, these accept the patriarchs contained in the Pentateuch and Moses. That
Moses received a law, they say. However, the law itself and the whole Pentateuch
they do not accept, but believe that another law had been given him. They do not
partake of that in which there is life, nor do they offer sacrifices. They say that
the books have been falsified and that none of them took their origin from the fathers.”
In Panarion XVIII he says: "The
Nasareans are of Jewish ethnicity, have circumcision, observe the Sabbath and the
same feasts, but they do not admit fate and astronomy. They accept the fathers in
the Pentateuch from Adam to Moses, those glorious in the deeds of fearing God, I
mean Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methusalah, Noah, Abraham, Isaac. Jacob, Levi, Aaron, Moses
and Joshua, the son of Nun. But the Pentateuch itself they do not accept. Yet they
confess Moses and believe that he received the law though not this one but another.
Wherefore they observe everything of the Jews, being Jews, but they do not offer
sacrifice, nor partake of that in which there is life, but it is considered unlawful
with them to eat flesh or that they sacrifice. They say that these books are falsified
and that nothing of them has originated from the fathers.”
