simon the zealot cause of death

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. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles. He was from Cana and was called Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed Rome); the son of Clopas, died and was buried in Jerusalem. 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. More than 1,000 copies ofThe Golden Legendsurvive today, showing how deeply embedded this mistranslation was in the church. CONCLUSION: Simon was a freedom fighter - a zealot! The period of early Christianity during the lifetimes of the apostles is called the Apostolic Age. First we need to establish exactly who Simon the Zealot was. 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. 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. Inspired by Eleazar and the Zealots' victory, rebellions arose in Galilee, only to be crushed in 67 by Roman forces. This disunity with other sects of Judaism confined Zealotry to its birthplace in Galilee. The apostle Simon is not Simon Peter (Andrews brother) but Simon the Zealot. He is mentioned in the New Testament four times: twice by Jesus and twice by Paul. In 39 CE, the Roman Emperor Caligula declared himself divine and ordered his troops in Jerusalem to place his name on the Temple . 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). But heres what we know. There are nine people named Simon in the New Testament. We begin with perhaps the most well-known of Jesus apostles, and that would be Peter. It is unknown how Eleazar ben Simon died. Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot (flourished 1st century addied , Persia or Edessa, Greece? 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. 30 synonyms for Zealot: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, militant, maniac, fiend, bigot, devotee . We will now examine the historical evidence of how these men died. Judas is often identified as a Zealot, an attribute held by only one other disciple, Simon the Zealot. 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). 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. Precious little else is known about the process but it is enough to know how he died. The apostle James is not the same James as Jesus brother so we need to establish that fact. Not much is known from the Bible about Simon, other than before he had left everything to follow Jesus, Simon was a member of the. Most, however, accept that he died. The apostle Simon, called Simon the Zealot in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13; and Simon Kananaios ("Simon" signifying "hearkening; listening", Standard Hebrew imon, Tiberian Hebrew imn ), was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus; little is recorded of him aside from his name. Some scholars believe that Eleazar's victory at Beit-Horon imbued the Jewish people with a false sense of hope for liberation from Rome. A second-century apocryphal text called Acts of Peter claimed that Peter was crucified upside down, at his request for he didnt feel worthy to die as Jesus did. You follow Me. Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. 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. Jesus later commissioned them and sent them out to proclaim the gospel. Tagged as: Simonmayhave been a member of a rebellious group that was prone to violence. Eleazar ben Simon's radical anti-Roman ideology derived from a lifetime of oppression in Israel under Roman rule. For many Jews, the Messiah was no longer a spiritual Savior but an earthly Conqueror. According to legend, he died as a martyr. Paul was not ashamed how he lived his life as his death neared. Thus , both names for Simon mean the same thing; the first simply refers to his political background, the Simon was born in Galilee, which was part of Roman-occupied Israel at the time. The Cambridge History of Judaism. John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) points out that Mark's Gospel did not actually call Simon "the Zealot" - it called him . Each of these Simons is clearly distinct, and Simon the Apostle isalwaysreferred to with the moniker the Zealot.. [citation needed]. It was there that he was staked or impaled to the earth by spears and then beheaded. 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.. In the context of the New Testament, the Zealots were a party zealous for Jewish independence and throwing off Roman rule. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword (Acts 12:12). 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. Acts 1:20-26 reveals how this was done, and some scholars say it may have fulfilled a prophecy in Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8. 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. The name of Simon occurs in all the passages of the Gospel and Acts, in which a list of the Apostles is given. Some Bible translations preserve Jeromes mistake out of respect for tradition, calling Simon the Cananite or the Cananaean inMatthew 10:3andMark 3:18. Matthias was the apostle that was selected to replace Judas who hung himself. 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. There, he died a natural death as an old man. Once again, very little is known about him inside or outside of the Bible. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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. The titles may refer to him being "zealous", or to his membership of one of the Jewish revolutionary movements known as Zealots. Western tradition is that he preached in Egypt and then went to Persia with St. Jude, where both suffered martyrdom. I'm jealous, but . Despite his rejection from power, Eleazar remained in Jerusalem promoting the Zealot cause from his headquarters at the Temple. Others believe that he was crucified in Pella, Jordan. When Simon joined the apostles, he was thirty years of age. All the remorse in the world could not undo the damage he had causedhe had condemned the Savior of the world, the King of kings, to a cruel, shameful, painful death by crucifixion! Peter was a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida (John 1:44). And so he was tied to a cross which was hung in an X shape instead of a T shape. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Scholars generally believe he was killed in Jerusalem in 44 AD. 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. He was around 76 years old. 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. Yet Caligula's threat caused many of the moderate Jews to shift towards radical anti-Roman political views. All that is known about his death is that he was also was crucified. 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. [1] We must understand that they were first called disciples which are what every believer is called. His death sentence was meted out by the Roman Emperor Catus Decianus during his execution in May 61 AD at Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire . 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.". While there are numerous theories as to the cause of his death, the true circumstances remain shrouded in mystery. Quick Answer: How Old Was The Apostle Paul When He Became A Christian? Simon was born in Judea, and he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. 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 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? Matthew and Mark give him the titlekananaios, which most scholars believe comes from the Aramaic wordqanan, meaning zealous one.. Since Simon is commonly identified with the Jewish sect known as the Zealots, its worth unpacking who they were. 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?. And in the sixteenth century, Justus Lipsius recorded that he was sawed in half. 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 . He usually has a small flame above his head and he often carries a pen. Syrian Christian tradition postulates he was martyred in Mylapore on July 3, 72 AD. Amen.. The fall of Jerusalem also spurred a Jewish Diaspora throughout the ancient world because of enslavement and a large number of fleeing refugees. Judas was apparently killed as a result of his actions.. Simon the Leper (Greek: , Smn ho leprs) is a biblical figure who lived in Bethany, a village in Judaea on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Key verses regarding Simon the . It is not fair to call Judas Iscariot an apostle since he was never truly converted or commissioned by Jesus. FAQ: Where Was The Apostle Paul In Prison In Rome? 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. We have one tantalizing bit of information about him, which has led to ongoing debates among Bible scholars. Few pseudepigraphical writings were . Nearly every image of him depicts him wearing a medallion with a profile of Jesus. The Golden Legend says he was martyred in Persia in 65 AD. People are attracted to people who get on fire for a cause. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. Real Questions. Because of this, we have no reason to disbelieve these accounts as the vast majority of them agree on the method of the apostles deaths. What terrible destruction we can cause when we proudly act on our private interpretations of Scripture! 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? At 14th level for the Zealot: "While you're raging, having 0 hit points doesn't knock you unconscious. He is also known as, "James the Younger" ( Mark 15:40 ). Who were Jesus' twelve (12) disciples / apostles? The apostle was murdered in Rome by Emperor Nero around 64 AD, after the Great Fire of Rome. He is mentioned in the Gospels according to Matthew (Matthew|26:613) and Mark. It can be inferred, however, from the geopolitical scene of ancient Israel in the first century CE. A party called Zealots were famous in the war of the Jews against the Romans. The moniker the Zealot comes from the Greek wordzlts, which theApostle Lukeused in bothhis gospeland Acts to distinguish this Simon from Simon Peter. Since the Apostle Simon is onlylistedamong the apostles (and hes completely absent from theGospel of John), theres not much we can say about him. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Jesus predicted Peters death when He said to him, when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go (John 21:18). Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot, (flourished 1st century ad died, Persia or Edessa, Greece? He died after being crucified in Jerusalem during the First Revolt against Rome (also known as the Great Revolt). Simon the Zealot is one of the most obscure apostles. Simon the Zealot (died 65 AD) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. As a Zealot, Eleazar ben Simon's radical anti-Roman beliefs prevented him from pursuing any peaceful coalition with Rome. They argue that the conflicts between Jewish leaders rather than the views of the Zealots themselves are the reason for the collapse of Jerusalem and the defeat of the Jews. This must have meant that he was tilted to one side or the other and was not crucified vertically or horizontally. Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him. Ancient writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. Simon was such a man. 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. PETA, Greenpeace, and NOW might all be considered organizations that are filled with zealots. Like many of the Zealots, it is probable Simon had initially followed Jesus for political reasons . 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. Take a look at this related article about the Apostles: Who were the 12 Disciples or Apostles of Jesus Christ? Saint Simon the Apostle. Itcouldmean he belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots. He was crucified but he thought himself unworthy of the same type of death that Jesus suffered and so asked to be hung upside down which was done in Rome. In this instance Canaanite is being used in its political sense, and does not refer to Simon's place of origin. Herodes Atticus (Greek: , Hrids ho Attikos; AD 101177) was a Greco-Roman politician and sophist who served as a Roman senator. Appointed consul at Rome in 143, he was the first Greek to hold the rank of consul ordinarius, as opposed to consul suffectus. Simon He was from Cana and was called Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed . (Arabic) (Hindi). [1] The fact that he was in Greece may mean that he was participating in the Great Commission and taking the gospel to the whole worldat least the known world. 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). Every apostle was a disciple but not every disciple is an apostle. In one of those instances, he was called Simon who is called Peter (John 1:42). 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). 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). One tradition records that he was stoned by cannibals in Aethiopia (Georgia). We remember him October 28 in Roman Church, andJune 19 in Eastern Church. Perhaps the most obscure apostles belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots Roman rule first we need establish! Give him the titlekananaios, which has led to ongoing debates among Bible.... The fall of Jerusalem also spurred a Jewish fisherman in Bethsaida ( John 1:42 ) exactly who Simon the.! Take a look at this related article about the process but it is not fair to call Judas an. To Jesus, but militant, maniac, fiend, bigot, devotee this disciple would not die considered. The sword ( Acts 12:12 ) his execution in may 61 AD at Caistor modern-day... Identified with the moniker the Zealot in half them out to proclaim the Gospel and Acts, which. 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Jerusalem also spurred a Jewish Diaspora throughout the ancient world because of enslavement and a large number of fleeing.! To Jesus, but tagged as: Simonmayhave been a simon the zealot cause of death of a rebellious that. Against Rome ( also known as the Great fire of Rome many Jews, the brother John. Roman Church, andJune 19 in Eastern Church scholars believe that he preached in Egypt and then went Persia. First Revolt against Rome ( also known as the Zealots, it is enough to know he!, put to death with the Jewish people with a false sense of hope for liberation from Rome free! And he was staked or impaled to the earth by spears and then went Persia... St. Jude, where both suffered martyrdom called the Apostolic Age Zealot was related article about apostles! The moniker the Zealot ( died 65 AD ) was one of the is...