The forth century Bishop of Constantia of Cyprus, Epiphanius, reported the beliefs of an early Judeo-Christian sect, whom he thought to be Heretical, saying, "[The Ebionites] set two divine appointees side by side, one being Christ, but one the devil. And they say that Christ has been allotted the world to come, but that this world has been entrusted to the devil... [Christ] was created as one of the archangels, and that he is ruler of both angels and of all creatures of the Almighty...." (Epiphanius, Panarion, 2.30.16; vol. 1, 132.)
Unfortunately, virtually all we know about the Ebionites comes from their critics. Secondly, the title “Ebionite” was given to multiple Judeo-Christian sects that, unlike the Gentile church, continued to embrace their Jewish roots. Certainly, both of these factors, to a significant degree, are responsible for the conflicting reports we find regarding their practices and doctrines (i.e., whether they believed in a virgin birth).
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