My LORD’s BibleThe Book of the Bee 48
1Of the teaching of the apostles, and of the places of eacpi one of them, and of their deaths.
2Next we write the excellent discourse composed by Mar Eusebius of Caesarea upon the places and families of the holy apostles.
4Simon, the chief of the apostles, was from Bethsaida, of the tribe of Naphtali. He first preached in Antioch, and built there the first of all churches, which was in the house of Cassianus, whose son he restored to life. He remained there one year, and there the disciples were called Christians. From thence he went to Rome, where he remained for twenty-seven years; and in the three hundred and seventy-sixth year of the Greeks, the wicked Nero crucified him head downwards.
5Andrew his brother preached in Scythia and Nicomedia and Achaia. He built a church in Byzantium, and there he died and was buried, John the son of Zebedee (Zabhdai) was also from Bethsaida, of the tribe of Zebulun. He first preached in Asia (Ephesus), and was afterwards cast into exile in the island of Patmos by Tiberius Caesar. He then went to Ephesus, and built in it a church. Three of his disciples went with him: Ignatius, who was afterwards bishop of Antioch, and who was thrown to the beasts in Rome; Polycarp, who was afterwards bishop of Smyrna, and was crowned by fire; and John, to whom he committed the priesthood and the bishopric after him. When John had lived a long time, he died and was buried at Ephesus; and John, the disciple of the Evangelist, who became bishop of Ephesus, buried him; for he commanded them that no one should know the place of his burial. The graves of both of them are in Ephesus; the hidden one of the Evangelist, and the other of his disciple John, the author of the Revelation; he said that everything he had written down, he had heard from John the Evangelist.
8Thomas was from Jerusalem, of the tribe of Judah. He taught the Parthians, Medes and Indians; and because he baptised the daughter of the king of the Indians, he stabbed him with a spear and he died. Habban the merchant brought his body, and laid it in Edessa, the blessed city of Christ our Lord. Others say that he was buried in Mahluph, a city in the land of the Indians.
10Bartholomew was from Endor, of the tribe of Issachar. He preached in inner Armenia, Ardeshir, Ivetarbol, Radbin, and Pruharman. After he had lived thirty years as an apostle, Hursti the king of the Armenians crucified him, and he was buried in the church which he built in Armenia.
14Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, was from the town of Sekharyut, of the tribe of Gad, though some say that he was of the tribe of Dan. He was like unto the serpent that acts deceitfully towards its master, because like a serpent, he dealt craftily with his Lord. Matthias, of the tribe of Reuben, came in in his stead. He preached in Hellas, and in Sicily, where he built a church, and died and was buried in it.
18Paul of Tarsus was a Pharisee by sect, of the tribe of Ephraim. When he had been baptised by Ananias, he wrought many miracles, and taught great cities, and bore and suffered dangers not a few for the name of Christ. Afterwards he went to Peter at Rome. When they divided the world between them, and the heathen fell to Paul’s lot, and the Jewish nation to Peter, and they had turned many to the truth of Christ, Nero commanded that they should both die a cruel death. Then Simon asked to be crucified head downwards, that he might kiss that part of the cross where the heels of his Master had been. As they were going forth to be slain, they gave the laying on of hands of the priesthood to their disciples, Peter to Mark, and Paul to Luke. When Peter had been crucified, and Paul slain, together with many of those who had become their disciples, Mark and Luke went forth by night, and brought their bodies into the city. Now Paul’s head was lost among the slain, and could not be found. Some time after, when a shepherd was passing by the spot where the slain were buried, he found Paul’s head, and took it upon the top of his staff, and laid it by his sheep-fold. At night he saw a fire blazing over it, and he went in (to the city) and informed the holy bishop Xystus (Sixtus) and the clergy of the church; and they all recognised that it was Paul’s head. Xystus said to them, ‘ Let us watch and pray the whole night, and let us bring out the body and lay the head at its feet; and if it joins again to its neck, it will be certain that it is Paul’s.’ And when they had done so, the whole body was restored, and the head was joined to its neck as if the vertebrae had never been severed; and those who saw it were amazed and glorified God. From his call to the end of his life was thirty-five years; he went about in every place for thirty-one years; for two years he was in prison at Caesarea, and for two years at Rome. He was martyred in the thirty-sixth year after the Passion of our Lord, and was laid with great honour in the magnificent royal catacombs in Rome. They celebrate every year the day of his commemoration on the twenty-ninth of the month of Tammuz.
19Luke the physician and Evangelist was first of all a disciple of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, and was afterwards baptised by Philip in the city of Beroea. He was crowned with the sword by Horos, the judge (or governor) of the emperor Tiberius, while he was preaching in Alexandria, and was buried there.
20Mark the Evangelist preached in Rome, and died and was buried there. Some say that he was the son of Simon Peter’s wife, others that he was the son of Simon; and Rhoda was his sister. He was first called John, but the Apostles changed his name and called him Mark, that there might not be two Evangelists of one name.
21Addai was from Paneas, and he preached in Edessa and in Mesopotamia in the days of Abgar the king; and he built a church in Edessa. After Abgar died, Herod Abgar’s son slew him in the fortress of Aggel. His body was afterwards taken and carried to Rome; but some say that he was laid in Edessa.
22Aggai his disciple was first of all a maker of silks for Abgar, and became a disciple. After Abgar’s death, his son reigned, and he required of Aggai to weave silks for him; and when he consented not, saying, ‘ I cannot forsake teaching and preaching to return to weaving,’ he smote him with a club upon his legs and brake them, and he died.
23Thaddaeus (Taddai) came after him at Edessa, and Herod, the son of Abgar, slew him also; he was buried at Edessa.
25The Jews smote Simon the leper while he was teaching in Ramah, and he died (there).
27Nicodemus the Pharisee, the friend of our Lord, received and honoured the Apostles in Jerusalem; and he died and was buried there.
28Nathaniel was stoned while he was teaching in Mount Horon \ and died.
29Simon the Cyrenian was slain while he was teaching in the island of Chios.
30Simon the son of Cleopas became bishop of Jerusalem. When he was an old man, one hundred years of age, Irenaeus the chiliarch crucified him.
32Mark, who was surnamed John, taught at Nyssa and Nazianzus. He built a church at Nazianzus, and died and was buried there. Some say that he is the Evangelist, as we have mentioned.
39Andronicus taught in Illyricum, where he died and was buried.
40The people of Zeugma slew Rufus while he was teaching in Zeugma.
41Patrobas taught in Chalcedon, and he died and was buried there.
42Hermas the shepherd taught in Antioch, and he died and was buried there.
43Narcissus taught in Hellas, and he died and was buried there.
44Asyncritus went to Beth-Huzaye (Khuzistan), and there he died and was buried.
45Aristobulus taught in Isauria, and there he died and was buried.
47Apollos the elect was burnt with fire by Sparacleus (?), the governor of Gangra.
49Junias was captured in Samos, and there he was slain and died.
50Theocritus died while teaching in Ilios, and was buried there.
51Martalus (?) was slain while teaching the barbarians.
52Niger taught in Antioch, and died and was buried there.
55Milus, while he was teaching in Rhodes, was thrown into the sea and drowned.
56Silvanus and Herodion (Rhodion) were slain while they were preaching in the city of Acco.
57Silas taught in Sarapolis (Hierapolis?), and died and was buried there.
58Timothy taught in Ephesus, and died and was buried there.
59Manael was burnt with fire while teaching in Acco, and died.
61Jason and Sosipatrus were thrown to the wild beasts while they were teaching in Olmius (?).
62Demas taught in Thessalonica, and there he died and was buried.
63Omius (Hymenaeus) taught in Melitene, and there he died and was buried.
64They threw Thraseus into a fiery furnace, while he was teaching at Laodicea.
65Bistorius (Aristarchus?) taught in the island of Ko, and there he died and was buried.
66Abrios (?) and Motos (?) went to the country of the Ethiopians, and there they died and were buried.
67Levi was slain by Charmus, while he was teaching in Paneas.
68Nicetianus (Nicetas) was sawn in two while teaching in Tiberias. While John and Theodorus were preaching in the theatre of Baalbec, they threw them to the beasts.
69The prefect Methalius (?) slew Euchestion (?) and Simon in Byzantium. Ephraim (Aphrem) taught in Baishan, and he died and was buried there.
70Justus was slain at Corinth.
71James taught and preached in Nicomedia, and he died and was buried there.