ELCESAITES, in church-history, ancient heretics, who made their appearance in the reign of the emperor Trajan, and took their name from their leader Elcesai. The elcesaites kept a mean between the Jews, Christians, and Pagans; they worshipped but one God, observed the Jewish sabbath, circumcision, and the other ceremonies of the law. They rejected the pentateuch, and the prophets; nor had they more respect for the writings of the apostles, particularly those of St. Paul.