What if the people who practised a faith closest to the historical Jesus of Nazareth were ultimately branded as heretics?

In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod, Daniel delves into the fascinating and forgotten world of the Ebionites, a first-century sect of Jewish-Christians who lived in the ultimate religious tension. To them, Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, but strictly human—adopted by God at his baptism. They kept the kosher dietary laws, celebrated Jewish festivals, and considered the Apostle Paul not a saint, but a dangerous apostate who abandoned the Law of Moses.

Join us as we explore their origins in the shadow of the Jerusalem Temple's destruction, unpack their unique Adoptionist theology, examine the surviving fragments of their censored writings, and discuss their slow fade into historical obscurity. We'll also touch upon intriguing theories connecting their beliefs to the later Islamic understanding of Jesus.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Origins of "The Poor": How the Jewish-Christian community evolved after the crucifixion.

• Adoptionism: Why the Ebionites rejected the virgin birth and the divinity of Jesus.

• The Anti-Pauline Crusade: The fierce Ebionite rivalry with the Apostle Paul.

• Lost Texts: The Gospel of the Ebionites and the Pseudo-Clementine literature.

• The Aftermath: How the Council of Nicaea and shifting orthodoxies erased them from history.

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