patristic testimonies reconsidered Finally, before moving on to deal with the next sect, the Ebionites,
Epiphanius reveals one more detail about the Nazarenes.
Pan. ..:
() The Nazarenes have Matthew’s gospel in its entirety in Hebrew.
However, Epiphanius does not know whether or not they have removed
the genealogies from Abraham to Christ.The Locations of the Nazarenes
As already noted, Epiphanius locates the Nazarenes in Syrian Beroea, as
well as the areas of Bashan (Kokaba/Chochaba) and Decapolis (Pella).
Because Jerome, who spent some time near Beroea,^55 also locates the
Nazarenes there, it is clear that, by the time of Epiphanius and Jerome,
Beroea had some Christian inhabitants who were called Nazarenes.
Because Epiphanius had himself lived in Palestine, in Eleutheropolis
(Beth Guvrin), one can also assume that he had some knowledge about
the areas where Jewish Christians were living in his time. Epiphanius
locates his Kokaba/Chochaba in the area of Bashan, near Karnaim and
Ashtaroth (Pan. .. andPan. ..–). Kokaba/Chochaba has been
identified with the remains of a town some twenty-seven kilometers east
of the Sea of Galilee.^56 In the nearby village of Farj, some archaeological
evidence has also been found which may suggest the presence of a
Jewish-Christian community: inscriptions including both menorahs and
Christian symbols. The inscriptions are dated between the latter part
of the fourth century and the early fifth, which makes them roughly
contemporary with Epiphanius.^57 EusebiushasalsolocatedEbionitesin
a village called Choba (Xω*%),^58 which might be the same village as
Epiphanius’ Kokaba/Chochaba.^59 In any case, it seems that Epiphanius
indentified these villages with each other because he locates the genesis
of the sect of the Ebionites in his Kokaba/Chochaba (Pan. ..–).
(^55) Jerome first tried to fulfill his ascetic goals around –ce in Syria, near Chalcis,
which was located km east-southeast of Antioch and km southwest of Beroea. Kelly
, .
(^56) Taylor , .
(^57) Taylor , –.
(^58) Eusebius,Onomasticon, ed. Lagarde [], p. ,–; See Klijn & Reinink
, –.
(^59) Thus Klijn & Reinink , and Taylor , . If the village is not the same,
Eusebius’ Choba must have been closer to Damascus because the biblical Hobah (Gen
:)—in connection with which Eusebius mentions the Choba of the Ebionites—is
located to the north of Damascus.