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. Like many of the Zealots, it is probable Simon had initially followed Jesus for political reasons . Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?. 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. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. Jack has written 1277 articles on What Christians Want To Know! 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. Apparently, he became a missionary to Asia Minor. Lives and death of the Apostles after the Last Supper - post 3. 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 was named Simon, son of Jonah or John. Simon the Zealot (Q12871) apostle of Jesus Simon the Apostle Simon Zelotes Saint Simon edit Statements instance of human biblical figure 0 references part of Twelve Apostles 0 references Simon and Jude 0 references image Simon (Caravaggio).jpg 508 650; 52 KB 1 reference Marienmnster Dieen Josephsaltar Simon Apostel.jpg 1,355 2,332; 1.23 MB 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. According to Eusebius, he returned to Jerusalem in the year 62 and assisted at the election of his brother, St. Simeon, as Bishop of Jerusalem. First we need to establish exactly who Simon the Zealot was. Simon was born in Judea, and he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Every apostle was a disciple but not every disciple is an apostle. The apostle was murdered in Rome by Emperor Nero around 64 AD, after the Great Fire of Rome. Accessed 8/08/2013. Disciples, Some sources say he was buried either in Northern Persia or the most accepted version that his remains are buried . 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. However, in 68 CE, John of Gischala, the hero who escaped Roman conquest in Galilee, joined forces with Eleazar ben Simon at Jerusalem and undermined the moderates' power. As expressed in the First Commandment, God is a jealous/zealous God who requires the allegiance of the people. Heres How to Know, Living a Life of Purpose and Meaning: Insights From the Bible, How Your Trials And Troubles Are Good For You, A Bible Study and Commentary on Romans Chapter Two, Christ Has a Unique Kingdom Life for Each Believer, 10 Inspirational Bible Verses to Start the New Year, Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Movie Review. All that is known about his death is that he was also was crucified. King Herod wanted to please the Jews by killing him (Acts 12:3). You follow Me., whoever would be my disciple must follow after me, For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. 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. . Both Peter and Andrew were fisher partners of the sons of Zebedee. To him be glory for ever and ever. 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. And he had a double name; he was said Simon Zelotes, and Simon Cananean of Cana a street that is in Galilee, there whereas our Lord converted the water into wine.. . 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. 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. The Zealots were associated with violent uprisings (including, later, the First Jewish-Roman War), and expected the coming Messiah to overthrow Rome using force. Nothing else is known about him. Contrary to the radical anti-Roman agenda of the Zealots, Ananus and the other moderate leaders of Jerusalem wished to stabilize the conflict and reach equilibrium with Rome. Professor David Rhoades elaborates inThe Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary: Judas and his followers opposed Jews who cooperated with the census, for they considered cooperation with Caesar to be an idolatrous transgression of the First Commandment to have no other lords before me. Judas small and unsuccessful revolt was carried out in the belief that if the Jews were faithful to the covenant, God would honor their cause by bringing victory in the struggle against Rome. This post is also available in: Mary Magdalene as Jesuss wife One of these texts, known as the Gospel of Philip, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesuss companion and claimed that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples. With his Legio XII Fulminata of 5,000 men, Cestius Gallus was ambushed and defeated at Beit-Horon in 66 CE by 2,400 Zealots led by Eleazar ben Simon. So whowasthis person the Bible calls Simon the Zealot, and what do we actually know about him? The Acts of Philip document gives an account of his martyrdom. For many Jews, the Messiah was no longer a spiritual Savior but an earthly Conqueror. 1st century CE Zealot leader during the First Jewish-Roman War, For the fifth generation Mishnah Tanna sage with a similar name, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Seven Onomastic Problems in Josephus' 'Bellum Judaicum', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eleazar_ben_Simon&oldid=1077710743, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2015, Pages using infobox officeholder with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. This mistake led to the idea that Simon was present at the wedding in Cana in John 2, where Jesus performed his first miracle and turned water into wine,andthat he was the same person as Simon, the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55). I'm jealous, but . What happened to the 12 disciples after the ascension of Christ? As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, called Peter and his brother Andrew. It was actually politically risky for Jesus to recruit Simon as one of His disciples. We know that Judas was probably a Zealot by his surname, Iscariot. Anyone associated with a known Zealot would fall under the suspicion of Roman authorities. He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. And yet something we know is that Simon by his radical background would Synonyms for Zealot in Free Thesaurus. Founded by Judas of Galilee, the Zealots kindled anti-Roman sentiment throughout Galilee and Judea. While even a stable independent Jewish state would probably not withstand the Roman forces, it could have lessened the devastation and provided a viable paradigm for the future revolts. The apostle Jude, who wrote the next to the last book in the New Testament by the same name, went all the way to Persia and it was there that he was crucified by the Magi. Thomas was impaled by a spear. James the Greater was nicknamed one of the Sons of Thunder by Jesus. Jesus teachings (such as turning the other cheek and loving your enemies) were often the complete opposite of the ideology the Zealots embraced. The titles may refer to him being "zealous", or to his membership of one of the Jewish revolutionary movements known as Zealots. Another tradition says, he was stoned by Jews in Jerusalem and then beheaded. In this history of the Jewish revolt, Josephus portrays Eleazar ben Simon as a murderous and impulsive Zealot who regarded his own personal ambitions above the well-being of the Jewish people. Zealous defenders of the Law and of the national life of the Jewish people; name of a party opposing with relentless rigor any attempt to bring Judea under the dominion of idolatrous Rome, and especially of the aggressive and fanatical war party from the time of Herod until the fall of Jerusalem and Masada. Heres how Josephus explains it inThe Antiquities of the Jews: Yet was there one Judas, a Gaulonite; of a city whose name was Gamala; who, taking with him Saddouk, a Pharisee, became zealous to draw them to a revolt: who both said that this taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery: and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty.. Despite the Zealots' failure to achieve political and religious liberation, Eleazar ben Simon helped cultivate the idea of an independent Jewish state and ingrained a sense of fear in future Roman leaders in the Middle East. During the summer of 67, Eleazar ben Simon and his Zealots attempted to dismantle the moderate government of Ananus by imprisoning officials who remained from the procurator period before the revolt and spreading the fear that the moderate Temple aristocracy would undermine the Jewish nationalist cause. Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: There are nine Simons mentioned in the New Testament: Simon the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3), Simon Iscariot the father of Judas Iscariot (John 6:71), Simon the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner when the sinful woman poured perfume on His feet (Luke 7:40), Simon the leper who had Jesus over for dinner in Bethany (Mark 14:3), Simon from Cyrene who was forced to help Jesus carry His cross (Mark 15:21), Simon the sorcerer who tried to buy the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:924), and Simon the tanner who hosted Peter when he had the vision of unclean food (Acts 9:43). This is the disciple whom Jesus loved and was the only one that died a natural deaththat is by old age and not martyred. Ancient writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. 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 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. He is an author of an epistle (letter) to the Churches of the East, in particular the Jewish converts, directed against the heresies of the Simonians, Nicolaites, and Gnostics. 5. He died after being crucified in Jerusalem during the First Revolt against Rome (also known as the Great Revolt). Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot, (flourished 1st century ad died, Persia or Edessa, Greece? Appointed consul at Rome in 143, he was the first Greek to hold the rank of consul ordinarius, as opposed to consul suffectus. Christian Truth. 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. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Paul was abandoned by everyone as his execution nearedall that is except His cherished Lord. Even so, I thought he should be mentioned. So, the proconsul, in revenge, killed him. Quick Answer: What Apostle Began The Greek Church? James was far from any reliable historical writers or church historians but it is thought that he was beheaded by King Herod near Palestine and not far from where he was a local missionary to the Jews in Judea. 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. Simon the apostle facts have shown that Simon the Zealot is one of the greatest causes of the changing power of Christ. Regardless of whether the prophecy was about Matthias, he was apparently stoned and then beheaded late in the 1st century. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all refer to him as Simon the Zealot (Zelotes in KJV). He is known as Simon the Zealot because he served as one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was devoted to the cause of Jesus. Josephus identifies three main Jewish sectsthe Essenes, the Saduccees, and the Pharisees. The Bible lists the names of the twelve disciples in Matthew 10:24, Mark 3:1619 and Luke 6:1316. Each of these Simons is clearly distinct, and Simon the Apostle isalwaysreferred to with the moniker the Zealot.. Like most of the other apostles, Simon the Zealot deserted Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. In the summer of 68, the Idumeans from the south imposed their support for the Zealots by helping John and Eleazar eradicate Ananus and the moderates from Jerusalem. Nothing is known of Eleazar's fate after this betrayal, except for the fact that Josephus mentioned him as still commanding the Zealots when they rejoined John in his fight against Simon bar Giora. St. Jude Thaddeus is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. Simon, a Zealot, to be one of his disciples. Read them in the archive below. The example of Simon the Zealot reminds us of three things. He is represented as bearded man holding an oar, a boat, boat hook, a club, an axe or a book. The title Zealot tells us much about Simon. "Titus' Siege of Jerusalem". as members of a sect called the Zealots.. James the Less was martyred in a fashion similar to James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and then beaten to death. However, the New Testament records the death of only two of the apostles Judas Iscariot and James the son of Zebedee. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Sts. Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13) is also called Simon the "Canaanite" (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18). Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus Christ 's twelve apostles, is a mystery character in the Bible. If thats what the Zealot refers to, then likeMatthew the Tax Collector, the Apostle Simons presence among the Twelve represents a powerful picture of the gospel. You follow Me. Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. He was later freed and went to Turkey, perhaps on a mission to establish churches there. Amen. How heartbreaking. Although its worth noting, in theTalmud, Jewish rabbis advocated for peace as well, and the Zealots ignored them. If you step out of this life without Christ, then you have sealed your own fate and eternally separated yourself from God. 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? He is also known as, "James the Younger" ( Mark 15:40 ). The knowledge of Peters death is widespread among secular and church historians. 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. We begin with perhaps the most well-known of Jesus apostles, and that would be Peter. Or he may have simply been zealous for the Mosaic Law. Return to: How will you diein your sins? 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. 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. Here, he was supposedly martyred by being cut in half with a saw, a tool he is often depicted with. There are also two versions of his death: that he was crucified in Edessa, Turkey, or clubbed to death. In the biblical tradition, human acts of zeal punished idolatrous violations of Gods right to exclusive allegiance from Israel. Others believe that he was crucified in Pella, Jordan. This Simon was also named "the Canaanite" ( Matthew 10:4 Mark 3:18 the King James Version) or "the Cananean" ( Matthew 10:4 Mark 3:18 the Revised Version (British and American)) or "Zelotes" ( Luke . Therefore, he is the patron of desperate situations, forgotten causes, hospital workers, hospitals, impossible causes, lost causes, and the diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida. I realize that the brother of Jesus, James, was not an apostle but he was one of the early church leaders and the account of his death is horrific. He wrote from prison, knowing that his execution was near. Simon may have been crucified or hacked to death. With growing support, Eleazar successfully appointed a puppet High Priest in Jerusalem to usurp power from Ananus and seized control of the Temple. Simon He was from Cana and was called Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed . Saint Simon the Apostle. 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). 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. According to Tacitus, "there were three generals and three armies, and between these three there was constant fighting, treachery, and arson" (Histories 5.12.3). 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. His brother, Andrew, and his wife's mother lived with him. What happened to the disciples after Jesus died? They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. They feared that appointing a Zealot to power would provoke Rome to attack and would diminish their own power. The name of Simon occurs in all the passages of the Gospel and Acts, in which a list of the Apostles is given. A party called Zealots were famous in the war of the Jews against the Romans. The word we translate as apostle (apstolos) literally means one who is sent.. It can be inferred, however, from the geopolitical scene of ancient Israel in the first century CE. Key verses regarding Simon the . Zealots were shunned by the High Priesthood in Jerusalem prior to the revolt. And in the sixteenth century, Justus Lipsius recorded that he was sawed in half. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Accounts. There are so few historical facts that are available beyond this account that we cannot add much to this and do so with absolute certainty. This was done to him after he repeatedly refused to deny his faith in Jesus. Eleazar ben Simon's radical anti-Roman ideology derived from a lifetime of oppression in Israel under Roman rule. 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.