As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Simon the Zealot would have been sentsomewhereto spread the gospel, just as the other apostles were. One tradition is that he first preached in Egypt, before joining Jude and travelling to Persia, where both were martyred. And John elaborated, Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God (John 21:19). The final conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity did not take place until the third century A.D. St. Jude was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. The Cambridge History of Judaism. This is the most inconspicuous of all the apostles and he is called James the Less to distinguish him from the other apostle named James and the James who was Jesus half-brother. [1] He was impaled by iron hooks in his ankles and hung upside down to die. Richard T. Ritenbaugh How agonizing that must have been. He was a Zealot for much of his life, which meant he was extremely legalistic and held a deep-set hatred towards the Romans and any who had dealings with them. Eleazar ben Simon and his Zealots' radical anti-Roman policies and eradication of the moderate temple aristocracy from Jerusalem in 67 CE also prevented any peaceful agreement with Rome to avoid the death and destruction which ensued in 70 CE. The Bible lists the names of the twelve disciples in Matthew 10:24, Mark 3:1619 and Luke 6:1316. His brother, Andrew, and his wife's mother lived with him. Precious little else is known about the process but it is enough to know how he died. Like most of the other apostles, Simon the Zealot deserted Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. There are no early church records of Simon the Zealots ministry, so its hard to say where he spread the gospelbut presumably, he did. Simon the Zealot is one of the most obscure apostles. Josephus identifies three main Jewish sectsthe Essenes, the Saduccees, and the Pharisees. Eleazar found himself in a similar situation of helplessness. John The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He is usually identified with the Apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he shares a surname, or with the Apostle Jude. He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. . The cause of his death in unclear because of the existence of two versions: (1) He was crucified in Edessa, Turkey; (2) He was clubbed-to-death and his body was either sawed or axed in pieces after (together with Simon the Zealot). Josephus fought against the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War. [1] J.H. In Josephus' Bellum Judaicum, the primary source of the First Jewish-Roman War, important historical figures are introduced with their patrimonial name when they first appear, and addressed by first name in all following appearances. The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Second Temple Judaism which sought to incite the people of Judea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms, most notably during the First JewishRoman War (6670). His apostolic symbol is a fish lying on a Bible, which indicates he was a former fisherman who became a fisher of men through preaching. As a result of this despotic leadership and their insufficient representation in the government, many Idumeans defected to a violent extremist group outside the city walls known as the Sicarii, led by Simon b. Gioras. Often asked: Apostle Who Wemt To Mountain To See Mary? Basil the Great says he died in Edessa, peacefully. People are attracted to people who get on fire for a cause. ; Western feast day October 28, Eastern feas. This must have meant that he was tilted to one side or the other and was not crucified vertically or horizontally. Today, anyone who has trusted in Christ is a disciple but the days of apostleship is over and ended with the conclusion of the New Testament. And the king bare the bodies of the apostles into his city, and did do make a church of marvellous greatness in the honour of them.. He allied himself with the moderate Jewish leaders under Ananus ben Ananus. Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot (flourished 1st century addied , Persia or Edessa, Greece? He was beaten to death with a club, then beheaded post-mortem in 1st century Persia. He wrote from prison, knowing that his execution was near. How did Jesus meet Simon Peter? In any case, the gospel writers used this description to distinguishthisSimon from Simon Peterand the other Simons in the New Testament. Thomas was impaled by a spear. Here is a man we know by name only and not by his . And I was delivered from the lions mouth. It may not even be accurate to call him a disciple because he truly did not follow Christ Who said that whoever would be my disciple must follow after me (Matthew 16:24). Quick Answer: How Old Was The Apostle Paul When He Became A Christian? so Simon includes an identifying name: the Zealot. Luke replaces the name Thaddeus with Judas son of James (Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13). Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. We have studied James, the brother of John, an apostle that was among our Lord's closest disciples. Your email address will not be published. Simon the Zealot - aka Simeon or Kananaios, or Kananite s or even Simon - another brother of Jesus?. He usually has a small flame above his head and he often carries a pen. From the various accounts that have been recorded, it is believed that Simon the Magician likely died of natural causes, likely in Jerusalem during the time of the Roman Empire. The apocryphal Acts of Thomas says this apostle was martyred in Mylapore, India, where he was stabbed with spears. ( Matthew 27:3-5) It was too late. Nothing else is known about him. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 20 Bible Verses About Success: Study From Scripture, 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, Are You a Disciple of Christ? Simon He was from Cana and was called Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed . The titles may refer to him being "zealous", or to his membership of one of the Jewish revolutionary movements known as Zealots. pp. PETA, Greenpeace, and NOW might all be considered organizations that are filled with zealots. Thus , both names for Simon mean the same thing; the first simply refers to his political background, the Matthew, Mark, and Luke all refer to him as Simon the Zealot (Zelotes in KJV). Judas the Betrayer. Jack has written 1277 articles on What Christians Want To Know! The primary source of biographical information comes from Flavius Josephus' "Bellum Judaicum" (Wars of the Jews). So what does this title mean? Simon the Zealot, the man who would have killed in loyalty to Israel, became the man who realized that God will not accept forced service. Hammond and Grotius think that St. Simon was called the Zealot, before his coming to Christ, because he was one of that particular sect or party among the Jews called Zealots, from a singular zeal they possessed for the honour of God and the purity of religion. When he surrendered to Vespasian, he claimed Jewish messianic prophecies were about Vespasian becoming the emperor of Rome, and lo and behold Vespasian decided to let him live, taking him on as a slave. Hammond and Grotius think that St. Simon was called the Zealot, before his coming to Christ, because he was one of that particular sect or party among the Jews called Zealots, from a singular zeal they possessed for the honour of God and the purity of religion. Herodes Atticus (Greek: , Hrids ho Attikos; AD 101177) was a Greco-Roman politician and sophist who served as a Roman senator. Researchers believe this is a form of the title sicarii, meaning "dagger-men," a group of ultra-Zealots who carried a knife with them at all times to be prepared to assassinate . . Simon the Zealot was one of the original Apostles . The word translated "Canaanite" is of Hebrew origin and means "zealot". The example of Simon the Zealot reminds us of three things. Your email address will not be published. To distinguish him from St. Peter he is called (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) Kananaios, or Kananites, and Zelotes (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). ; Western feast day October 28, Eastern feast day June 19), one of the Twelve Apostles. Finally, two of Jesus' disciples were named Simon: Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot. Yet further investigation into his life and political associations reveals that Josephus himself was one of the traditional aristocratic leaders who controlled Judea and Galilee prior to the Zealot insurrection. Read them in the archive below. At the onset of the war, John of Gischala, Eleazar's future ally, disobeyed Josephus' orders not to attack a Roman granary, thus sparking a bitter hatred between the two leaders. This Apostle is said to have suffered martyrdom in Armenia, which was then subject to Persia. It is unlikely that the Magi mentioned in the New Testament who were searching for the child King, Jesus, and the ones who crucified Jude were one and the same. Simon was called by Jesus and was completely changed. Although not vindicated from misguided leadership, Eleazar (and for that matter most of the Zealots) are no longer seen as violent tyrants who destroyed the city before the Romans got to Jerusalem. His last thoughts must have been of His beloved Lord knowing that since He rescued him from eternal death by saving him, He would rescue him after his physical death and would be with the Lord forever. TheApostle Paultalks about his own zeal and the zeal of the Israelites on multiple occasions (Philippians 3:6,Galatians 1:13-14,Acts 22:3, andRomans 10:1-4). He died after being crucified in Jerusalem during the First Revolt against Rome (also known as the Great Revolt). Historical evidence of Eleazar arises in 66 CE, when he participated in crushing Cestius Gallus' Legio XII Fulminata at Beit-Horon. Appointed consul at Rome in 143, he was the first Greek to hold the rank of consul ordinarius, as opposed to consul suffectus. This page was last edited on 17 March 2022, at 20:12. Simon the Zealot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Some versions of the Bible also call him Simon the Canaanite, which does not necessarily mean that he was from Cana, but rather that he was a zealous individual. Paul was not ashamed how he lived his life as his death neared. It is not fair to call Judas Iscariot an apostle since he was never truly converted or commissioned by Jesus. One day Simon saw Jesus walking on water toward him; he thought Jesus must be an angel so he asked him to do what Simon had asked God to do for him earlier that dayto rescue him from drowningand Jesus obliged by telling Simon to get into his boat (Matthew 14:28-30). Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that dayand not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. You can hear the passion and love of Paul in his last words to Timothy. Zealots were shunned by the High Priesthood in Jerusalem prior to the revolt. He was around 76 years old. Like many of the Zealots, it is probable Simon had initially followed Jesus for political reasons . It is believed that while he hung on that cross and was dying, he called to the crowds and taught them about Jesus Christ and how they might be saved, thus he was sharing the gospel up until the very time of his death on the x-shaped crossbeing loyal to the very end. He is known as Simon the Zealot because he served as one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was devoted to the cause of Jesus. Accessed 8/08/2013. There are also two versions of his death: that he was crucified in Edessa, Turkey, or clubbed to death. We think of Jesus' disciple, Simon "the Zealot" or "Canaanite", and of Josephus's account of Judas the Galilean in 6 CE apparently responsible for what became the Zealot party and a widespread "nationalist" movement against Roman rule. It is believed that most of the apostles died in the middle or late 1st century. The word apostle means one sent and so we can see that disciples and apostles are not the same thing. He suggests that the Zealots were a fourth which sprung up as a result of Judas influence and caused the problems which led to the First Jewish-Roman War: For Judas and Sadducus, who excited a fourth philosophick sect among us, and had a great many followers therein, filled our civil government with tumults at present, and laid the foundations of our future miseries, by this system of philosophy, which we before were unacquainted withal., Your email address will not be published. Once again, most historians agree that Andrew was also crucified but he was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. The Roman procurators also subjugated the Jewish High Priesthood, appointing pro-Roman Jews to positions of authority, and desecrated sacred Jewish practices with sacrilegious pagan rituals. 21.7.12. Other leading causes of death, including heart disease (#1), respiratory diseases (#6), and diabetes (#8), sweep a wider sickle through America because we sit everywhere we go, instead of using our legs. A party called Zealots were famous in the war of the Jews against the Romans. This disunity with other sects of Judaism confined Zealotry to its birthplace in Galilee. Although this is pure speculation, it is certain that Eleazar ben Simon's inability to establish unity with Simon bar Gioras and John of Geschala during the period of the independent Jewish state severely exacerbated and expedited the fall of Jerusalem. The fall of Jerusalem also spurred a Jewish Diaspora throughout the ancient world because of enslavement and a large number of fleeing refugees. He may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome. I'm grateful that Simon the Zealot, for one, was welcomed in. We read about his death in the book of Acts: It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. We know little about him other than his name. There are numerous accounts of Simon the Zealot's death, but the earliest records come centuries after his death. Here, he was supposedly martyred by being cut in half with a saw, a tool he is often depicted with. Bible Study, The Zealots were anti-Rome and were politically motivated. This would end the rage and cause death, and thus be much more lethal than lethal damage. Simonmayhave been a member of a rebellious group that was prone to violence. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning. Since an "Eleazar, son of Simon" and an "Eleasar, son of Ya'ir" are introduced separately with their patrimonial name, Josephus intends to distinguish the two leaders as separate persons. The name itself sounds wild-eyed. On Pauls third missionary journey, Jews and Jewish Christians who were zealous for the Law wanted to kill Paul (Acts 21:20;23:1214). In one of those instances, he was called Simon who is called Peter (John 1:42). [citation needed]. Since Simon is commonly identified with the Jewish sect known as the Zealots, its worth unpacking who they were. Some contend that he died as late as 493 AD when he was more than 100 years old. Jesus preached a message of nonviolence (Matthew 5:39, 43-44; 26:52). As time passed, the perception of Eleazar ben Simon and the Zealots shifted from the tyrannical despot whom Josephus portrays to a dedicated leader with flawed tactics. Lives and death of the Apostles after the Last Supper - post 3. He is ironically crucified as a revolutionary between two revolutionaries, and yet his revolution is one built on the power of love, not violence. He was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ, but he plays no particular role in the gospels and is only mentioned by name in lists of the apostles (Matthew 10:2-4,Mark 3:16-19,Luke 6:14-16,Acts 1:1-13). Apparently, he became a missionary to Asia Minor. After the fall, he was somehow still alive and when they discovered this, his enemies circled him and beat him to death with clubs. Tertullian, a Christian writer in the second and third centuries, recorded that before the Romans exiled John, they brought him into a coliseum and immersed him in a barrel of boiling oil. Simon the Cananaean was also called Simon the Zealot. The title Zealot tells us much about Simon. Although there are various versions of his death, it is likely he served with zeal as a missionary in Persia and eventually died a martyr's death. InThe Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, New Testament Scholar David Rhoades says: The evidence from Josephus suggests that it was not until about 68 C.E. What can we learn from what the Bible says about James the apostle. Feast Day: October 28 ST. SIMON is surnamed the Cananaean or Canaanite, and the Zealot, to distinguish him from St. Peter, and from St. Simeon, the brother of St. James the Less, and his successor in the see of Jerusalem. We begin with perhaps the most well-known of Jesus apostles, and that would be Peter. He is thought to have preached in Egypt and then to have joined St. Jude in Persia. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ, Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go., How the Apostle Bartholomew or Nathaniel Died, How the Apostle James (son of Zebedee) Died, Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is the one who betrays You?, Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, But Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? (Simon Kananaios; kanna'i, "the Jealous (or Zealous) One"): One of the Twelve Apostles. There were many Magi in Persia and so the chances that it would be the same ones who sought Jesus were the same ones who crucified Jude is highly unlikely. Simon is mentioned occasionally in early church writings, but centuries after the gospels were written, Saint Jerome and others mistranslated Simons title, believing that Matthew and Mark referred to him as Simon the Cananite or Simon the Cananaean. For example, some of the Zealots under Eleazar burned large stockpiles of food that would have lasted the Jews several years in order to "remove the security blanket" and force everyone to fight (Goodman 195). Some scholars believe that Eleazar's victory at Beit-Horon imbued the Jewish people with a false sense of hope for liberation from Rome. The failure in ancient manuscripts to distinguish formal nouns allows for differing interpretations regarding the use of the term zealot. It seems clear, however, that Jewish and Christian writings of the period refer to a wide variety of offenses against which private individuals or groups might act in zeal on behalf of the community, some of these actions being revolutionary and others not.. Many think that St. Simon was called the Zealot, before his coming to Christ, because he was one of that particular sect or party among the Jews called Zealots, from a singular zeal they possessed for the honor of God and the purity of religion. There are several explanations for why he is called "less."

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