The Jewish-Christian Gospels, pt. 3: The Ebionite and Nazaraean Gospels in Eusebius

5. Eusebius also seems to have known the Nazaraean gospel, at least, but may also have known the Ebionite one.



Eusebius knows a gospel "according to the Hebrews", at History 3.25.5 (καθ Εβραιους ευαγγελιον), and at History 3.27.4 he writes that the Ebionites used "only the so-called Gospel according to the Hebrews" (ευαγγελιω δε μονω το καθ Εβραιους λεγομενω). and at History 3.39.17 Eusebius again mentions a gospel "according to the Hebrews (καθ Εβραιους ευαγγελιον) that contained the same story of a sinful woman that Papias related.

At History 4.22.7, he writes that Hegesippus used a gospel called "according to the Hebrews", but then refers to Syriac and Aramaic (or "the Hebrew dialect"), not Greek. Here is the sentence in full, where Eusebius describes the writings of Hegesippus:

Εκ τε του καθ Εβραιους ευαγγελιου και του Συριακου, και ιδιως εκ της Εβραιδος διαλεκτου, τινα τιθησιν.

It's possible Eusebius means that the gospel "according to the Hebrews" was also a Syriac or Aramaic gospel, in which case he must be referring only to the Nazaraean gospel, since that is the only one we know was written in "Hebrew", i.e. Syriac/Aramaic. Indeed, in Theophany 4.12, Eusebius writes of "the gospel written in Hebraic characters" (Εβραικοις χαρακτηρσιν Ευαγγελιον), and that must refer to the Nazaraean gospel, not the Ebionite one. So he did know the Nazaraean gospel, at least. And Jerome tells us [Against the Pelagians 3.2] that this gospel was in fact kept in the Caesarean library, so perhaps Eusebius had seen a copy himself.

But is Eusebius really referring to only one gospel here? It seems he might actually be distinguishing between two different gospels: one "according to the Hebrews" (του καθ Εβραιους), but another in "Syriac" (και του Συριακου), equivalent to Aramaic, or "the Hebrew dialect". If so, then Eusebius may have been the first early Christian author to have known both the Ebionite gospel and the Nzaraean gospel. Notice that in the passage from Theophany, Eusebius does not refer to a gospel "according to the Hebrews", but only to one "written in Hebraic characters". It seems that Eusebius reserves that term for the Ebionite gospel, not the Nazaraean one.

It seems reasonable to conclude that at the very least, Eusebius knew the Aramaic gospel, which again must be identified with the Nazaraean gospel, not the Ebionite one. But the plainest interpretation of History 4.22.7 indicates he distinguished this gospel from a gospel acc. Heb., which he elsewhere identifies with the Ebionite gospel, implying that in fact he knew both. So, in Eusebius:

• there was a Greek gospel acc. Heb., containing the story of a sinful woman, that Papias quotes from, and that the Ebionites use; 
• then, there was a Syraic/Aramaic gospel, which contained an alternate version of the Parable of the Talents. Eusebius doesn't tell us the Nazaraeans used it, but this is not surprising, since he never mentions the Nazaraeans at all. We do learn at History 5.10.2-3 that a gospel of Matthew "in Hebrew letters" was distributed among "the Indians", and this may also refer to the Aramaic Nazaraean gospel.