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 Malbothæans. 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 שָׁבַת, schabat, "to rest or re-pose;" and signifies idle easy indolent people. Eusebius speaks of them as if they had been so called from one Malbotheus 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.

Valeius will not allow the two sects to be confounded together: the last being a sect of Jews before, or at least contemporary with Christ; and the former a sect of heretics descended from them. Rufinus distinguishes them in their names; the Jewish sect he calls Malbuthæi; and the heretics Malbuthæi. The Malbuthæans were a branch of the Simonians.