Simeon of Jerusalem

Simeon († 107 in or near Jerusalem ) was the second Bishop of Jerusalem and a martyr and saint.

Identity

Eusebius of Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History tells that Simeon had been to his martyrdom, which is dated to the year 107, a 120 year old old man, so that he would be born in 13 BC. The exact identity of Simeon was always controversial among church historians. Hegesippus, who lived in the 2nd century, calls him a son of Clopas, who was a brother of the biblical Joseph. This Simeon was a cousin of Jesus. Simeon was, however, also identified with the " Lord's brother " Simon from Mark 6.3 EU. In any case, his relatives may have played a role to Jesus when, after the stoning of James the Just ( 62 ), the board of the Jerusalem church and was even referred to as the " brother of the Lord ", a successor was sought. Here, Simeon was able to prevail against a Thebutis.

Episcopate and martyrdom

The book of Acts is concerned for the period after the Council of the Apostles especially with the missionary journeys of Paul, so evident from her little about the conditions in the Jerusalem church, but probably continued to enjoy a primacy. So Paul can gather a collection for the Christians in Jerusalem. At the same time were the differences between the " Judaizing " Jewish Christians, including James and Simeon counted, and the Hellenists, who represented a criticism of the temple and the Council of the Apostles by continued approval of the Christian mission to the Gentiles, become increasingly apparent. With the beginning of the Jewish war, the Jerusalem church was forced to leave her hometown and fled to Pella. She returned to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 back. Meanwhile, however, caused by the mission within the Roman Empire always new communities, so that the Jerusalem church was increasingly pushed into the background. With the execution of Simeon in the year 107, which took place under Emperor Trajan and the command of the proconsul Atticus, the community was weakened again, his successor was Justos I. Another 30 years later, virtually the complete dissolution of the Jerusalem Municipality in connection with the bar Kochba revolt ( 132-135 ) and only under Narcissus is about 200 again recorded a significant activity of the Christian community in the city.

Commemoration

Simeon is venerated as a saint, his feast day is February 18 in the Catholic and April 27 in the Greek Orthodox Church.