Prayerbook, The Bible, The Twelve Apostles, Stories of the Apostles' Deaths

Matthias, Luke, Mark, and Paul are included here with the twelve. Although some of these stories lack reliable support, they have been commonly retold.

Andrew

Andrew was martyred in Pattae (modern-day Patras), a seaport in the Peloponnesus, in western Greece on the Gulf of Patras, in the year 70. Bound to a cross, he preached to his persecutors until he died. The X-shaped cross story arose in the Middle Ages. There is also unhistorical speculation that he was the first bishop of Byzantium (Constantinople).

Bartholomew

Bartholomew was martyred in Armenia in 44 by being flayed alive. He has been associated with the spread of the gospel in Lycaonia (an ancient country in southern Asia Minor), India, and Armenia (an ancient country in western Asia, part of the Soviet Union in its time, east of Turkey and northwest of Iran).

James the Greater

James was martyred in Jerusalem by beheading. After his death in Palestine, his body was put in a boat with sails set. The next day he reached the Spanish coast. According to another legend, it was his relics that were transferred to Spain, in a marble ship from Jerusalem, where he was bishop. His body was discovered in 840 (by a divine revelation), and a church was built at Compostella to enshrine it. Called Mata-moros (Moor-slayer) because he was believed to have come on a white steed to the aid of the Christians in their battle against the Moors. (Moors were the Muslims of the mixed Berber and Arab inhabitants of northwest Africa. They invaded and conquered Spain in the eighth century.

James the Less

According to Josephus, James was martyred in Jerusalem by stoning. A century later a tradition arose that he was taken to the pinnacle of the temple and ordered to dissuade the assembly from belief in Christ. He preached Christ instead, and so was hurled to the ground and stoned where he lay. Another tradition says he was clubbed with a fuller's pole. (Fulling is a special process in the manufacture of cloth by which it is cleansed and thickened).

John

Asristodemos, a priest of the Italian goddess Diana, challenged John to drink a chalice of poison. John blessed it, whereupon a dragon-form of Satan flew from it and John drank it without harm. In the Domitian persecution (96), he was immersed in boiling oil but delivered unharmed. He then was banished to Patmos (Revelation 1:9), and island off the southwest coast of Asia Minor, where he is said to have written the Book of Revelation (most likely this was a different John). After his return to Ephesus, he died a natural death.

Judas

The Scriptures record (Matthew 27:5) that after the betrayal of Jesus, the despondent Judas took his own life by hanging.

Jude (Thaddaeus)

An apocryphal account says he evangelized in Persia (Iran today) and was shot to death there with arrows.

Luke (evangelist)

An ancient source says he labored long in Greece and died there, unmarried, at the age of eighty-four. Another tradition says his martyrdom was by hanging on an olive tree.

Mark (evangelist)

Traditionally, he became the evangelist of Alexandria, Egypt, and its first bishop. He was martyred there, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, after being dragged through the streets.

Matthew

Matthew preached for fifteen years in Judea, then took the gospel to Ethiopia, or Persia, or elsewhere, where he was slain by a sword.

Matthias

Stoned and then beheaded.

Paul

After he had converted one of Nero's favorite concubines, Paul was beheaded at Rome in the year 66, whereupon milk flowed from his veins. Tradition says the place of this martyrdom is now called Tre Fontane, and that his body is buried where the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls stands.

Peter

Peter confounded Simon Magus, who was at Nero's court as a magician. He was crucified under Nero around 64 or 66, upside down because he deemed himself worthy of a death the same as Christ. Tradition has it that his tomb is under the high altar of St. Peter's in Rome.

Philip

Philip probably preached the gospel in Phrygia (an ancient country in central and northwest Asia Minor) and died in Hierapolis, where his grave is now claimed to be.

Simon (the Zealot)

Simon evangelized in Egypt and then Persia (Iran today) where he was martyred, some say along with Jude.

Thomas

Thomas was said to be martyred at Meliapour in south India. One account says he was run through with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies. He is mentioned in the apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas.