| The Therapeuts and Essenes were the First Christians and their writings were our Gospels and Epistles, according to the Fathers of Church History (Eusebius, Epiphanius, etc.) and as such they were allegorical, with a hidden Gnosis.
They were first called "Christians" at Antioch, the Center of Gnosticism after Samaria, Mr. Carmel and St. John on the Jordan, to be indoctrinated by Saturninus who taught Encratism or the Abstinence from animal food of all kinds beside carnal passion, from which Christian Cenobites and monasticism followed.
The Ecclesia of Primitive or Gnostic Christians continued this tradition altho Rome sought to smash every Gnostic concept with Excommunication and Anathemas with their "Ecumenical" Councils. |
