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Encyclopedia of Religion entry forAbelitesA religious sect in N. Africa in the 4th century. They are also called Abelians, Abeloites, and Abelonians. They objected to ordinary marriage, and contracted spiritual unions, taking their name from Abel,, because they assumed that he had a wife, but never sought to procreate children. They adopted children in order to perpetuate the sect. These also had to abstain from sexual intercourse. The sect became extinct in the reign of Theodosius the Younger (408-450). See J. H. Blunt. citations: Encyc. of Rel., Canney
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12 |
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