| Part of a series on |
| Jewish Christianity |
|---|
 |
The Elcesaites, Elkasaites, Elkesaites or Elchasaites were an ancient Jewish Christian sect in Lower Mesopotamia, then the province of Asoristan in the Sasanian Empire that was active between 100 and 400 CE. The members of this sect, which originated in the Transjordan, performed frequent baptisms for purification and had a Gnostic orientation.[1][2]: 123 [3]
The name of the sect derives from the alleged founder, Elkhasaí (Koinē Greek: Ἠλχασαΐ in Hippolytus), Elksai (Ἠλξαί in Epiphanius), or Elkesai (Ελκεσαΐ in Eusebius, and Theodoret).
- ^ Kohler, Kaufmann; Ginzberg, Louis. "Elcesaites". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
- ^ "Elkesaite | Jewish sect". Britannica. Retrieved 4 May 2022.