Gospel-based traditions ,
Ravenna, 6th century The name
Simon occurs in all of the
Synoptic Gospels and the
Book of Acts each time there is a list of apostles, without further details: To distinguish him from
Simon Peter, he is given a surname in all three of the
Synoptic Gospels where he is mentioned. Simon is called "
Zelotes" in Luke and Acts ( ). For this reason, it is generally assumed that Simon was a former member of the political party, the
Zealots. In Matthew and Mark, however, he is called "
Kananites" in the
Byzantine majority and "
Kananaios" in the
Alexandrian manuscripts and the
Textus Receptus ( ). Both
Kananaios and
Kananites derive from the
Hebrew word
קנאי qanai, meaning
zealous, so most scholars today generally translate the two words to mean "Zealot". However,
Jerome and others, such as
Bede, suggested that the word "Kananaios" or "Kananite" should be translated as "Canaanean" or "Canaanite", meaning that Simon was from the town of קנה
Cana in
Galilee. If this is the case, his
epithet would have been "Kanaios".
Robert Eisenman has argued that contemporary
talmudic references to Zealots refer to them as ''kanna'im'' "but not really as a group—rather as avenging priests in the Temple". Eisenman's broader conclusions, that the zealot element in the original apostle group was disguised and overwritten to make it support the assimilative
Pauline Christianity of the
Gentiles, are more controversial.
John P. Meier argues that the term "Zealot" is a mistranslation and in the context of the Gospels means "zealous" or "religious" (in this case, for keeping the
Law of Moses), as the Zealot movement apparently did not exist until 30 to 40 years after the events of the Gospels. However, neither
Brandon nor
Hengel support this view. The
Catholic Encyclopedia suggests that Simon the Zealot may be the same person as
Simeon of Jerusalem or
Simon the brother of Jesus or both. He would then be the cousin of Jesus or a son of
Joseph from a previous marriage. Another tradition holds that this is the Simeon of Jerusalem who served as the
second bishop of Jerusalem from 62 to 107 AD after the execution of
James the Just, although he was born in Galilee. The apocryphal second-century
Epistle of the Apostles (
Epistula Apostolorum), a polemic against
gnostics, lists him among the apostles purported to be writing the letter (who include Thomas) as "Judas Zelotes". Certain
Old Latin translations of the
Gospel of Matthew substitute "Judas the Zealot" for
Thaddeus/Lebbaeus in Matthew 10:3. To some readers, this suggests that he may be identical with the "Judas not Iscariot" mentioned in John 14:22: "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Our Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" As it has been suggested that Jude is identical with the
Apostle Thomas (see
Jude Thomas), an identification of "Simon Zelotes" with Thomas is also possible.
Barbara Thiering identified Simon Zelotes with
Simon Magus; however, this view has received no serious acceptance. The
New Testament records nothing more of Simon, aside from this multitude of possible but unlikely pseudonyms. In the apocryphal
Arabic Infancy Gospel a fact related to this apostle is mentioned. A boy named Simon is bitten by a snake in his hand; he is healed by Jesus, who told the child "you shall be my disciple". The mention ends with the phrase "this is Simon the Cananite, of whom mention is made in the Gospel."
Isidore of Seville drew together the accumulated anecdotes of Simon in
De Vita et Morte. According to
the Golden Legend, which is a collection of
hagiographies, compiled by
Jacobus de Voragine in the thirteenth century, "Simon the Cananaean and
Judas Thaddeus were brethren of
James the Less and sons of
Mary Cleophas, who was married to Alpheus." In later tradition, Simon is often associated with
Jude the Apostle as an evangelizing team; in Western Christianity, they share their
feast day on 28 October. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in
Egypt, Simon joined Jude in
Persia and
Armenia or
Beirut in today's
Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65. This version is the one found in the
Golden Legend. He may have suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem. According to an Eastern tradition, Simon travelled to Georgia on a missionary trip, died in
Abkhazia and was buried in
Nicopsia, a not yet identified site on the
Black Sea coast. His remains were later transferred to
Anakopia in today's Abkhazia. ,
Georgia Another tradition states that he traveled in the
Middle East and
Africa. Christian
Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in
Samaria, while
Justus Lipsius writes that he was
sawn in half at Suanir,
Persia. Yet another tradition says he visited
Roman Britain. In this account, in his second mission to Britain, he arrived during the year 60, the first of
Boadicea's rebellion. He was crucified 10 May 61 by the Roman Catus Decianus, at
Caistor, modern-day
Lincolnshire in England. According to
Caesar Baronius and
Hippolytus of Rome, Simon's first arrival in Britain was in the year 44, during the
Roman conquest.
Nikephoros I of Constantinople writes: Another tradition, doubtless inspired by his title "the
Zealot", states that he was involved in the
First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 AD). ==Sainthood==