Epiphanius and the Panarion: The War Against the Nazarenes' Hebrew Truth (374–377 CE)

The Nazarenes: Guardians of Yhwh's Way

The Nazarenes, known as followers of "the Way" (Acts 9:2), were Torah-observant Hebrew Jews who revered Yeshua as a prophet and servant of Yhwh, not a divine figure. Distinct from Christianity, modern Judaism, Pharisees, and Sadducees, they upheld Yhwh's original Five Books (Torah), rejecting later additions:

• One Yhwh: "Hear, O Israel: Yhwh our Elohim, Yhwh is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4), rejecting the Greek Trinity and divine sonship.
• No Human Sacrifice: Yhwh abhors human sacrifice and blood offerings of humans, viewing Yeshua's death as resistance to temple corruption, not atonement.
• Repentance for All: Forgiveness through Torah obedience, open to all who turn to Yhwh.
• Yeshua's Role: A Hebrew prophet who upheld Torah and exposed temple corruption, not a Greek-style savior.
• Torah Authority: Adhering strictly to Yhwh's Five Books, rejecting later additions as Yhwh commanded "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 4:2).

Their Gospel of the Nazarenes, written in Hebrew or Aramaic, reflects their Torah-centered theology through fragments that emphasize Torah obedience over Greek doctrines:

• Daily Bread Fragment: "Our bread for tomorrow, give us this day" (lechem machar, Hebrew eschatological hope in Yhwh's provision).
• Torah Obedience Fragment: "If you are in my bosom but do not the will of My Father in heaven, I will cast you away" (emphasizing adherence to Yhwh's commandments).
• Baptism Fragment: "My Son, in all the prophets I was waiting for you" (Jerome, Against Pelagius 3.2), emphasizing a prophetic calling within Torah framework, not divinity.

Epiphanius' Panarion: A Weapon Against Hebrew Believers

Around 374–377 CE, Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, wrote the Panarion ("Medicine Chest"), a three-volume attack on 80 "heresies," targeting groups like the Nazarenes to enforce Roman Christian orthodoxy. As a Romaniote Jew converted to Christianity and educated in Egypt's Hellenistic environment, Epiphanius championed Nicene doctrines (e.g., Trinity, virgin birth) and condemned Hebrew believers for their Torah observance.

In Panarion 29, he labels the Nazarenes heretics, claiming they:

• Believed in one God and Yeshua as Messiah and Son of God.
• Used both the Hebrew Bible and their Gospel of the Nazarenes.
• Observed the Law of Moses (Torah), including Sabbath and circumcision.

Epiphanius' primary grievance was their Torah adherence, which he saw as undermining his "replacement theology"—the idea that the Church replaced the Jews as Yhwh's chosen people and that the Mosaic covenant was obsolete. He argued that Torah observance blurred the line between Judaism and Christianity, threatening the Roman Church's authority. His attack reflects a broader campaign to erase Hebrew theology.

The Septuagint: Fueling the Divide

The Greek Septuagint (LXX), created ~250 BCE under Ptolemy II in Alexandria, distorted Hebrew truth and laid Christianity's foundation:

• Erased Yhwh's Name: Replaced Yhwh (יהוה) with Kyrios (Lord), fulfilling Jeremiah 23:26–27: "They plan to make My people forget My Name."
• Reworded Scriptures: Translated almah (young woman) in Isaiah 7:14 to parthenos (virgin), birthing the virgin birth doctrine, absent in Hebrew theology.
• Introduced Greek Ideas: Promoted concepts like fate, dualism, and cosmic salvation, shaping Christian doctrines like the Trinity and atonement.

Paul, raised on the Septuagint in Tarsus, furthered these distortions, teaching "faith alone" (Romans 3:28) and calling the Torah a "curse" (Galatians 3:13), which the Nazarenes rejected, adhering to Hebrew scrolls and Yhwh's Name.

Persecution and Erasure

After Christianity became Rome's state religion (325 CE, Council of Nicaea; 380–391 CE, Theodosian decrees), the Roman Church branded the Nazarenes heretics, suppressed their Gospel of the Nazarenes, and destroyed their manuscripts, leaving only fragments quoted by hostile sources like Epiphanius and Jerome.

This erasure, part of a broader campaign against Jewish-Christian sects, silenced their Hebrew theology, replacing Yhwh's Name with Kyrios and Torah with Hellenistic doctrines. While direct evidence of physical violence is limited, the destruction of their texts and marginalization effectively "killed" their legacy.

Epiphanius' Bias and Flawed Methods

Epiphanius' Panarion reflects his zeal over accuracy. He admits relying on hearsay for some claims (e.g., against Origenists, Panarion 71) and uses venomous metaphors, comparing heretics to snakes or beasts. His description of the Nazarenes as heretics for Torah observance reveals his bias toward Hellenistic Christianity.

His claim that the Nazarenes accepted the virgin birth (Panarion 29) contradicts their Hebrew theology and likely reflects his attempt to align them with orthodoxy.