MASBOTHÆI, or MESBOTHÆI, the name of a sect, or rather of two sects; for Eusebius, or rather Hegesippus, whom he cites, makes mention of two different sects of Masbotheans. The first was one of the seven sects that rose out of Judaism, and proved very troublesome to the church; the other was one of the seven Jewish sects before the coming of Jesus Christ.
The word is derived from the Hebrew שבת, schabat, "to rest or repose;" and signifies idle easy indolent people. Eusebius speaks of them as if they had been so called from one Masbotheus their chief: but it is much more probable that their name is Hebrew, or at least Chaldaic, signifying the same thing with a Sabbatarian in our language; that is, one who makes profession of keeping Sabbath. Valesius will not allow the two
sects to be confounded together: the last being a Masbothæan sect of Jews before, or at least contemporary with Christ; and the former a sect of heretics descended from them.