The People of the Snake

Ophitae a colubro nominati sunt, coluber enim Graece dicitur. Hunc autem Christum arbitrantur; sed habent etiam verum colubrum assuetum eorum panes lambere, atque ita eis velut eucharistiam sanctificare. Quidam dicunt istos ophitas ex Nicolaitis sive Gnosticis exstitisse, et per eorum fabulosa figmenta ad colubrum colendum fuisse perventum.   Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, De Haeresibus ad Quodvultdeum

The Ophites are named from the snake, Ophis being snake in Greek. This they judge to be Christ and they even have a real snake to lick their bread, and this is to them the santification of the eucharist. Some say these Ophites sprung from the Nicolaiteans or Gnostics and through their fabulous accounts they were brought to snake worship. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On Heresies, To Quodvultdeus