Daniel Plooij on Epiphanius

“I think Epiphanius ought to be the last witness we should trust uncontrolled, especially in his testimonies on heretics and heretical writings. He combines all kinds of notices, rumours, and calumnies into abracadabra often completely incomprehensible." [A Primitive Text of the Diatessaron p. 78]

When he wrote this, Plooij had what Epiphanius said about the Diatessaron in mind, but he intended it as a general assessment as well. After trying to disentangle what Epiphanius has on the Samaritan sects, I have to agree. Note that “uncontrolled” is used here in its technical meaning, “without any way of testing from other evidence or another witness”.