Or even zealous for Jesus and his teachings. One thing is sure that all the disciples suffered greatly for their witness and in most cases met cruel deaths (see also What happened to the 12 disciples after the ascension of Christ?). . However, Moses of Chorene writes that he was martyred at Weriosphora in Caucasian Iberia. Later, during Domitians persecution in the middle 90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. To him be glory for ever and ever. Christian Truth. In the fifth century, Moses of Chorene recorded that Simon the Zealot was martyred in the Kingdom of Iberia. The apostle Simon is not Simon Peter (Andrew's brother) but Simon the Zealot. The other James, James the Less, is named in Scripture only in each list of the apostles ( Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14-16, and Acts 1:13) and as a secondary figure in Mark 15:40. MacMahon. This apostle, in the catalogue of our Lord's chosen disciples, is styled "Simon the Canaanite," whence some are of the opinion that he was born at Cana in Galilee; and it is generally thought that he was the bridegroom mentioned by St. John, at whose marriage our blessed . so Simon includes an identifying name: the Zealot. Peter was a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida (John 1:44). He used the wealth acquired in this decisive victory as political leverage during the battle for power in Jerusalem in 67-69 CE. A party called Zealots were famous in the war of the Jews against the Romans. Feast Day: October 28th. Known for: Little-known apostle of Jesus Christ. Other church fathers made this error as well, and it was perpetuated throughout church tradition for so long that some modern translations still say, Simon the Cananite or Simon the Cananean inMatthew 10:3andMark 3:18. There are numerous accounts of Simon the Zealot's death, but the earliest records come centuries after his death. 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). 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. Tradition also claims he died peacefully at Edessa. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all refer to him as Simon the Zealot (Zelotes in KJV). He was one of the original followers of Christ. Saint Simon the Apostle. The word apostle means one sent and so we can see that disciples and apostles are not the same thing. The circumstances of Saint Patrick's death are understandably a little muddy. Since 63 BCE, Roman garrisons stationed throughout Israel had exploited Jews with punitive taxation, exceeding the quota set by the Roman Empire and keeping the surplus revenues for themselves . Our most detailed descriptions of who they were, how their movement started, and what they stood for comes from Flavius Josephus, a Jewish-Roman historian who lived during the first century. 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). People are attracted to people who get on fire for a cause. His brother, Andrew, and his wife's mother lived with him. 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. Provoked by Roman oppression and inflamed by his own political ambitions, Eleazar ben Simon dedicated his life to the Zealot cause to establish an independent Judea. Amen. How heartbreaking. John The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. Quick Answer: What Apostle Began The Greek Church? 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. Eleazar took the legion's equipment and movable wealth, returning to Jerusalem with substantial loot. Another tradition says, he was stoned by Jews in Jerusalem and then beheaded. Besides, zealousness is a quality that frequently comes up in Scripture, so it could have easily been a description of a positive quality Simon possessed, rather than a sect he belonged toespecially if that group wasnt known by that name at the time. And yet something we know is that Simon by his radical background would Other scholars disagree. From 68 CE to 69 CE this alliance between Eleazar and his Zealots, John of Gischala, and the Idumeans ruled Jerusalem with unstable leadership. According to Josephus, John sent a party to the Zealot stronghold in the Temple to offer a sacrifice before the coming festival of Passover. Also, the Ethiopian Christians claim he was crucified in Samaria. 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. I pray not. Judas was apparently killed as a result of his actions.. Why were the books of Kings included in the Bible. He blames the defeat of Jewish War on "unrepresentative and over-zealous fanatics" including Eleazar. Second Timothy was the last letter ever written by Paul and in it he knew that the time of his death drew near as he wrote to Timothy For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. And John mentions Thaddeus, calling him Judas (not Iscariot) (John 14:22). Josephus fought against the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War. Even so, I thought he should be mentioned. As the Roman burden became more onerous, Jewish priests alienated by the pro-Roman high priesthood joined in the effort to attain political and religious liberty by any means possible, thus forming the Zealots. On Pauls third missionary journey, Jews and Jewish Christians who were zealous for the Law wanted to kill Paul (Acts 21:20;23:1214). 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. When Simon joined the apostles, he was thirty years of age. During his three years of ministry with Jesus, Simon the Zealot matured into an apostle empowered to spread the gospel in truth and love to all nations. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. But the group known as the Zealots may not have existed at the time the gospels took placepossibly not even when they were written. It is not fair to call Judas Iscariot an apostle since he was never truly converted or commissioned by Jesus. Although he had proven his devotion and leadership at Beit-Horon, Eleazar ben Simon was given no office "because of his tyrannical temperament" (B.J 2.564). Any time that Jesus said truly, truly or verily, verily He was putting great emphasis on a truth and Jesus must have known, with certainty, how Peter would die and that they will stretch out your hands and carry you where you do not want to go clearly implied crucifixion. His political campaign to eradicate moderate Jews from Jerusalem in 67-70 CE eliminated the possibility to surrender to Titus and avoid his relentless massacre of the city. By 69 CE, with the support of most Idumeans, Simon captured Jerusalem and reduced Eleazar and John to a powerless state confinement in the Temple and inner court. There, he died a natural death as an old man. Eleazar found himself in a similar situation of helplessness. 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. In the biblical tradition, human acts of zeal punished idolatrous violations of Gods right to exclusive allegiance from Israel. Simonmayhave been a member of a rebellious group that was prone to violence. Due their fear that Ananus would betray the nationalist cause and surrender to the Romans in order to solidify his position of power, the Idumeans invested their support in Eleazar and John's coalition in hopes of establishing a more radical government to counter the inevitable Roman attack. It's thought that he became a missionary to Africa and died of old age. We will now examine the historical evidence of how these men died. 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. To him be glory for ever and ever. If you step out of this life without Christ, then you have sealed your own fate and eternally separated yourself from God. 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. The period of early Christianity during the lifetimes of the apostles is called the Apostolic Age. He is the second James on the New Testament lists of apostles (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13). Precious little else is known about the process but it is enough to know how he died. He was called Zealot in all 4 places. I'm jealous, but . He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword (Acts 12:12). How Did Simon The Zealot Die by Ibrahim Smile June 16, 2022 Simon the Zealot was a Jewish priest and a member of the early Christian community. Jesus preached a message of nonviolence (Matthew 5:39, 43-44; 26:52). Peter, who refused to renounce his faith, was crucified, at his request, upside down. Simon the Zealot is one of the most obscure apostles. Appointed consul at Rome in 143, he was the first Greek to hold the rank of consul ordinarius, as opposed to consul suffectus. 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. Most scholars today believekananaioscomes from the Aramaic wordqanan, meaning zealous one, which effectively makes Simons moniker the same in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. Perhaps surprisingly, one of Christ's own disciples, Simon, was a member of the Zealots prior to meeting Jesus. Rhoades concludes that the term zealot is ambiguous enough for there to be more than one valid interpretation: Some scholars assume that citations to zeal and zealots in the 1st century, such as the NT references to Simon the zealot, refer to a Jewish sect of Zealots dedicated to revolution against Rome. 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? Regardless of whether the prophecy was about Matthias, he was apparently stoned and then beheaded late in the 1st century. One wonders how Simon felt about Matthew, who would have been considered a traitor by the Jews because he was a tax-collector for Rome. And John elaborated, Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God (John 21:19). The Zealots were a faction, headed by Judas of Galilee, who "in the days of the enrollment" (compare Acts 5:37; Luke 2:1,2) bitterly opposed the threatened increase of taxation at the census of Quirinius, and would have hastened by the sword the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. Some Bible translations preserve Jeromes mistake out of respect for tradition, calling Simon the Cananite or the Cananaean inMatthew 10:3andMark 3:18. Lives and death of the Apostles after the Last Supper - post 3. And after saying this he said to him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19). He died early in the church history while the New Testament was still being compiled. When he emerged unharmed, the entire coliseum converted to Christianity. Simon the Zealot was one of the original Apostles . His remains are buried in a crypt in Rome. This post is also available in: Some contend that he died as late as 493 AD when he was more than 100 years old. 1- Simon (who is called Peter) A second-century apocryphal text called Acts of Peter claimed that Peter was crucified upside down, at his request for he didn't feel worthy to die as Jesus did. This is the apostle that is mentioned in John 21:20-23, 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? Ancient writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. Since the Apostle Simon is onlylistedamong the apostles (and hes completely absent from theGospel of John), theres not much we can say about him. We remember him October 28 in Roman Church, andJune 19 in Eastern Church. 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. St. Simon Novena - Day 1. Not much beyond this is known since Matthew was in such a remote place in Africa and went where few historian or Christians ventured to go. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning. Eleazar ben Simon's radical anti-Roman ideology derived from a lifetime of oppression in Israel under Roman rule. In the thirteenth century, Jacobus de Varagine compiled numerous biographies of the saints intoThe Golden Legend, where centuries after Jerome, the error was repeated: Simon is as much to say as obedient, or being in heaviness. . 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