Jesus teachings (such as turning the other cheek and loving your enemies) were often the complete opposite of the ideology the Zealots embraced. He is ironically crucified as a revolutionary between two revolutionaries, and yet his revolution is one built on the power of love, not violence. Every apostle was a disciple but not every disciple is an apostle. Simon the Zealot ( Acts 1:13, Luke 6:15) or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Canaanean ( Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18; Greek: ; Coptic: -; Classical Syriac: ) [3] was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Disciples, 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. 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.. Also, consider one of Jesus' other disciples was a tax collector. And after saying this he said to him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19). He was called Zealot in all 4 places. Simon was transformed by the Jesus and his message. 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). 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). Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad634ae32895f7a376e75c82b53fb88c" );document.getElementById("e218d56cc5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. First we need to establish exactly who Simon the Zealot was. He died after being crucified in Jerusalem during the First Revolt against Rome (also known as the Great Revolt). Eleazar ben Simon was a Zealot leader during the First Jewish-Roman War who fought against the armies of Cestius Gallus, Vespasian, and Titus Flavius.From the onset of the war in 66 CE until the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, he fought vehemently against the Roman garrisons in Judea and against his fellow Jewish political opponents in order to establish an independent Jewish state at . The word apostle means one sent and so we can see that disciples and apostles are not the same thing. 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 He was from Cana and was called Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed . The apostle Simon is not Simon Peter (Andrews brother) but Simon the Zealot. This must have meant that he was tilted to one side or the other and was not crucified vertically or horizontally. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. James the Greater As there were two Simons, so was there more than one James. Lives and death of the Apostles after the Last Supper - post 3. The Golden Legendrecords that Simon preached in Egypt, then partnered with Judas, the brother of Jesus: Judas preached first in Mesopotamia and in Pontus, and Simon preached in Egypt, and from thence came they into Persia, and found there two enchanters, Zaroes and Arphaxat, whom S. Matthew had driven out of Ethiopia.. Simon the Zealot was a Jewish priest and a member of the early Christian community. We must rely on early church historians and secular historians as well but thankfully both seem to be in agreement and both are reliable. TheNew Testamentlists all twelve apostles four timesMatthew 10:2-4,Mark 3:14-19,Luke 6:13-16, andActs 1:13-16. Regardless of whether the prophecy was about Matthias, he was apparently stoned and then beheaded late in the 1st century. After the fall, he was somehow still alive and when they discovered this, his enemies circled him and beat him to death with clubs. 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. . He is usually identified with the Apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he shares a surname, or with the Apostle Jude. Luke replaces the name Thaddeus with Judas son of James (Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13). Although its worth noting, in theTalmud, Jewish rabbis advocated for peace as well, and the Zealots ignored them. Following the defeat of Eleazar's Zealots and subsequent destruction of the Temple, the lack of centralized worship created a spiritual vacuum within the Jewish community that was filled with the spread of synagogue as the center of Jewish life. 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. The name Judas the Zealot ( Judas Zelotes) is mentioned in the Epistle of the Apostles (Epistula Apostolorum), written in the 2nd century. . Yet when Eleazar and his Zealots opened the gates to permit entry, John's forces slaughtered the inhabitants of the temple while the Zealots tried to flee. Simon was called by Jesus and was completely changed. Bible Study, The Golden Legend says he was martyred in Persia in 65 AD. He usually has a small flame above his head and he often carries a pen. 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. . Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your Apostle, St. Simon, as an example of holiness. 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. Key verses regarding Simon the . Jesus preached a message of nonviolence (Matthew 5:39, 43-44; 26:52). This is the disciple that replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:12-26) that betrayed Jesus and then hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). His books are include: Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children, Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?, "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.". 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. Simon was born in Judea, and he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13) is also called Simon the "Canaanite" (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18). Here the term Canaanite is synonymous with the word Zealot. As we mentioned earlier, Rhoades argues that Josephus work makes it clear that there was no formal group called the Zealots until about 68 AD. However, Moses of Chorene writes that he was martyred at Weriosphora in Caucasian Iberia. In order for there to be other apostles, we would have to tear down the building again and add to the foundation. Paul was abandoned by everyone as his execution nearedall that is except His cherished Lord. Simon the Zealot was one of the original Apostles . Real Answers. I included Paul among the apostles since he was perhaps the greatest apostle and evangelist the world has ever known and most certainly deserves to be included among the apostles. Known for: Little-known apostle of Jesus Christ. The knowledge of Peters death is widespread among secular and church historians. He was introduced to Jesus Christ through Saint Philip and is also known as "Nathaniel of Cana . The lack of verses mentioning Simon the zealot probably indicates that Jesus had little if any problems with him. He is known as Simon the Zealot because he served as one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was devoted to the cause of Jesus. One tradition is that he first preached in Egypt, before joining Jude and travelling to Persia, where both were martyred. I love to see people zealous in the work of the Lord. 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. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 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. Following his victory against Cestius' forces, Eleazar was deposed from power in Jerusalem by the High Priest Ananus ben Ananus. Join in praying the St. Simon Novena. 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). Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria, while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia. Apostles, The apostle Simon is not Simon Peter (Andrew's brother) but Simon the Zealot. Other scholars disagree. Simon would have considered Matthew a Jewish sell-out, a traitor to the cause of Israel. Founded by Judas of Galilee, the Zealots kindled anti-Roman sentiment throughout Galilee and Judea. 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. While there are numerous theories as to the cause of his death, the true circumstances remain shrouded in mystery. We have studied James, the brother of John, an apostle that was among our Lord's closest disciples. In this guide, well dig into the ambiguities surrounding this lesser-known biblical figure, address some common confusions, and look at how he may have died. [citation needed], The Zealot control of Jerusalem was confined to the inner court of the city and the Temple itself. Real Questions. Simon the Zealot's death is disputed amongst scholars. Or he may have simply been zealous for the Mosaic Law. John The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. With growing support, Eleazar successfully appointed a puppet High Priest in Jerusalem to usurp power from Ananus and seized control of the Temple. Apparently Jude was in Persia on a missionary trip. Even his moniker, the Zealot is ambiguous enough that we cant be sure what it meansthough there are several strong possibilities. Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. Saint Jude Thaddeus is not the same person as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Our Lord and despaired because of his great sin and lack of trust in God's mercy. The Zealots were anti-Rome and were politically motivated. Although Titus Flavius, the son of Emperor Vespasian, and his army were nearing Jerusalem, Eleazar and the other two leaders did not unite to prepare for the attack and were severely weakened by 70 CE. Simon was a member of the militant political movement called the Zealots. Accounts. They feared that appointing a Zealot to power would provoke Rome to attack and would diminish their own power. Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot (flourished 1st century addied , Persia or Edessa, Greece? But heres what we know. Matthew, like most of the apostles late in their lives, became a missionary and was arrested in Ethiopia. To him be glory for ever and ever. 10:4; Mark 3:18; and Luke 6:15).Readers find him again in the book of Acts (1:13) after the death of Jesus and his ascension to heaven where Simon and his fellow apostles gathered together to elect a replacement for . The circumstances of Saint Patrick's death are understandably a little muddy. In this instance Canaanite is being used in its political sense, and does not refer to Simon's place of origin. 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. Probably Christ Himself must have told him and he was preparing Timothy to take over for him. St. Simon Novena - Day 1. As expressed in the First Commandment, God is a jealous/zealous God who requires the allegiance of the people. In the context of the New Testament, the Zealots were a party zealous for Jewish independence and throwing off Roman rule. Nothing else is known about him. 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. From the first of these surnames some have thought that St. Simon was bom at Cana, in Galilee. Judas the Betrayer. When he emerged unharmed, the entire coliseum converted to Christianity. However, the 4th-century St. Basil the Great says he died in Edessa, peacefully. Simon of Cyrene (Hebrew: , Standard Hebrew imon, Tiberian Hebrew imn; Greek: , Simn Kyrnaios; died 100) was the man compelled by the Romans to carry the cross of Jesus of Nazareth as Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, according to all three Synoptic Gospels. 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). 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. On Pauls third missionary journey, Jews and Jewish Christians who were zealous for the Law wanted to kill Paul (Acts 21:20;23:1214). Eastern tradition says Simon died peacefully at Edessa. 21.7.12. Little else is known of his life, but legend claims that he visited Beirut and Edessa. Take a look at this related article about the Apostles: Who were the 12 Disciples or Apostles of Jesus Christ? Simon the Zealot - aka Simeon or Kananaios, or Kananite s or even Simon - another brother of Jesus?. Often asked: Apostle Who Wemt To Mountain To See Mary? Again, not very much is known about the method of Thomas execution but that maybe due to the fact that he was a missionary in India and was establishing a church there when he was stabbed with a spear and died from the wound. Eleazar ben Simon (Hebrew: ) was a Zealot leader during the First Jewish-Roman War who fought against the armies of Cestius Gallus, Vespasian, and Titus Flavius. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. , God is a jealous/zealous God who requires the allegiance of the term Canaanite is synonymous with the apostle.... 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