The word apostle means one sent and so we can see that disciples and apostles are not the same thing. Finally, two of Jesus' disciples were named Simon: Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot. 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. Yet when the revolt broke out in 66 CE, the Galilean zealots fled the Roman massacres and sought refuge in the last major Jewish stronghold: Jerusalem. Historical evidence of Eleazar arises in 66 CE, when he participated in crushing Cestius Gallus' Legio XII Fulminata at Beit-Horon. It is believed that most of the apostles died in the middle or late 1st century. 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 Lives Of Faith: Simon The Zealot, Simon The Sorcerer, And Simeon Of Jerusalem. I'm jealous, but . 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. 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). Here is a man we know by name only and not by his . They feared that appointing a Zealot to power would provoke Rome to attack and would diminish their own power. When Jesus cleanses the temple in the Gospel of John, his disciples recallPsalm 69:10, implying that Jesus was motivated by zeal: His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.. Even his moniker, the Zealot is ambiguous enough that we cant be sure what it meansthough there are several strong possibilities. (Arabic) (Hindi). According to Josephus, John sent a party to the Zealot stronghold in the Temple to offer a sacrifice before the coming festival of Passover. 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 . Return to: More than 1,000 copies ofThe Golden Legendsurvive today, showing how deeply embedded this mistranslation was in the church. Zeal is behavior motivated by the jealous desire to protect ones self, group, space, or time against violations. 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. Basil the Great says he died in Edessa, peacefully. Outnumbered and isolated by Ananus' troops surrounding the Temple, Eleazar control of the Temple was seriously threatened from the winter of 67 to the spring of 68. Although the Jewish defeat at Jerusalem cannot be entirely attributed to Eleazar ben Simon, his inability to establish unity with John of Gischala and Simon bar Giora resulted in a bitter civil war that weakened the Jewish resistance against Rome. 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. Simon, a Zealot, to be one of his disciples. The apostle was murdered in Rome by Emperor Nero around 64 AD, after the Great Fire of Rome. Perhaps surprisingly, one of Christ's own disciples, Simon, was a member of the Zealots prior to meeting Jesus. Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. But heres what we know. The Bible says that he betrayed Jesus and then being consumed with worldly guilt went out to hang himself (Matthew 27:3-8). Although his early victory at the battle of Beit-Horon invigorated the Jewish revolt, Eleazar's rejection of moderate politics during an era of precarious Jewish-Roman relations and his inability to establish a united and stable Jewish resistance led to the violent collapse of Jerusalem in 70 CE and another six centuries of Roman rule, until conquest of the region during the Islamic conquests. 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. 30 synonyms for Zealot: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, militant, maniac, fiend, bigot, devotee . He was one of the original followers of Christ. Itcouldmean he belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots. In this instance Canaanite is being used in its political sense, and does not refer to Simon's place of origin. 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. 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. ; Western feast day October 28, Eastern feas. 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. 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This faith in the Zealot cause attracted many Jews to help fight against Rome, which resulted in vast casualties. Thomas was impaled by a spear. Simon was such a man. Or, he may have simply been zealous for the Lawor even zealous for Jesus or his teachings. 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. Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot, (flourished 1st century ad died, Persia or Edessa, Greece? Here, he was supposedly martyred by being cut in half with a saw, a tool he is often depicted with. Thus , both names for Simon mean the same thing; the first simply refers to his political background, the Simon the Zealot was one of the original Apostles . The Apostle Jude was crucified in Persia. 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). He was called Zealot in all 4 places. Or even zealous for Jesus and his teachings. Previous post: 10 Arguments for the Existence of God, Next post: 20 Bible Verses About Success: Study From Scripture. With complete control over the city, Eleazar and John exploited their power and slaughtered the remnants of Ananus' moderate party in Jerusalem in a misguided attempt to unite the city. Both . In response, Nero ordered Cestius Gallus, the Roman legate of Syria, to crush the rebellion. 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. He died early in the church history while the New Testament was still being compiled. When the Jews refused, he threatened to destroy the temple but his sudden timely demise saved Jerusalem from a premature siege. His zeal once focused in the right direction must have made him stay on the straight and narrow path, although it did require new learning on his part! Synonyms for Zealot in Free Thesaurus. Its unclear when the group formally became known as the Zealots. Like his brother Peter, Andrew didnt consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. He is represented as bearded man holding an oar, a boat, boat hook, a club, an axe or a book. Simon was a member of the militant political movement called the Zealots. And so he was tied to a cross which was hung in an X shape instead of a T shape. Your email address will not be published. The New Testament calls him Simon the Canaanite and 2 other places call him Simon. He is known as Simon the Zealot because he served as one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was devoted to the cause of Jesus. 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. Accounts. In the West, Simon is said to have preached in Egypt, then traveled to Persia with Jude (who had been working in Mesopotamia) where they were both martyred. SIMON THE CANAANITE; SIMON THE CANANAEAN; SIMON THE ZEALOT. 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. 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. After his resurrection, Jesus sent eleven of them (minus Judas Iscariot, who by then had died ) by the Great Commission to spread his teachings to all nations. 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. What happened to the disciples after Jesus died? Since Eleazar was placed in command of a large army of Jews in the battle against Cestius' Legio, he had already risen to a position of power in the priesthood prior to his military success. Your email address will not be published. In fact, whenever he is listed in the Gospel writings it is with the designationSimon the Zealot. He is mentioned in the New Testament four times: twice by Jesus and twice by Paul. 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. There are different records of Simon the Zealots death. Regarding this Simon's name, "Zealot," there are possibilities. Each of these Simons is clearly distinct, and Simon the Apostle isalwaysreferred to with the moniker the Zealot.. This alliance was rooted in their mutual dependence upon each other. Simon the Zealot is one of the most obscure apostles. Or he may have simply been zealous for the Mosaic Law. pp. We are sent out as sheep among . It can be inferred, however, from the geopolitical scene of ancient Israel in the first century CE. 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.. 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. Apostles, Even though theBook of Actsand the epistles never describe Simon the Zealots ministry, as one of the Twelve, he wouldve been one of the most important leaders of the early church. He died after being crucified in Jerusalem during the First Revolt against Rome (also known as the Great Revolt). He wrote from prison, knowing that his execution was near. 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. What can we learn from what the Bible says about James the apostle. 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. Peter, who refused to renounce his faith, was crucified, at his request, upside down. 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. We know little about him other than his name. His death sentence was meted out by the Roman Emperor Catus Decianus during his execution in May 61 AD at Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire . Despite his rejection from power, Eleazar remained in Jerusalem promoting the Zealot cause from his headquarters at the Temple. While there are numerous theories as to the cause of his death, the true circumstances remain shrouded in mystery. how did 12 apostles die, Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS [https://modelchrist.org/] & also a Prison Minister. . The titles may refer to him being "zealous", or to his membership of one of the Jewish revolutionary movements known as Zealots. All Rights Reserved. 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. Once again, very little is known about him inside or outside of the Bible. Simonmayhave been a member of a rebellious group that was prone to violence. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his years of service as Your Apostle. Simon the Zealot is a most difficult disciple to trace the history of, as he appears to have travelled under various names - or perhaps just been confused with many other people? He was later freed and went to Turkey, perhaps on a mission to establish churches there. 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. Jesus saw this coming when He said, 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. (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) Despite the common misconception, Eleazar ben Simon the Zealot is not the same person as Eleazar ben Ya'ir, the Sicarii leader at Masada. . 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 . Paul was not ashamed how he lived his life as his death neared. St. Simon (Commonly Called the Zealot) John Kitto.