one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ called Simon the Zealot.He was the son of the first marriage of Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary, that is, it was the half brother of Jesus.Nicknamed the Canaanite, Aramaic means "jealous."Apostle Luke describes in his writings of the Apostle Simon Zealot is not, as in Greek - Zealot, which means the same thing.
first miracle of Jesus Christ
The Gospel of John tells that during the marriage ceremony of his half-brother, Simon, Jesus Christ made his first miracle - namely, turned water into wine.Seeing this, the newly groom his brother believed in Jesus and became his ardent followers and disciples (the apostle).In the Christian faith, Simon the Zealot is the patron saint of the newlyweds and marriage.Over 2,000 years during the Christian wedding ceremony the priest says the lines from the Gospel, telling about the creation of the miracle of God.
Travel World
According to biblical scripture, after the Savior ascended to heaven, the apostle, Simon the Zealot, as well as all the disciples of Christ, received a divine gift, which came to him in a flame of fire.Since then he became his brother preach the teachings of Jesus Christ in various countries: in Judea, Edessa, Armenia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Britain, Spain and others.This can be seen from the ancient traditions of these peoples.
news of the resurrection of Christ comes to the Black Sea coast
20 years after Christ's resurrection three of his apostles - Andrew, Matthew and Simon the Zealot - went to the Iberian lands, and further into the mountains today Ossetia and Abkhazia.In the city of Sebaste (Sukhumi) go their separate ways.Apostle Simon the Zealot lived in a cave, situated in a deep valley of a mountain river, which went down with the help of ropes, and Andrew went on, along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.Each of them preached the doctrine of Christ, talked about his life, about the creation of the miracles of the martyr's death and resurrection, and sought to convert to Christianity locals.
New Athos
Village, where he lived at the time, Simon the Zealot, is in the neighborhood of a modern resort Novy Afon.Here the apostle heaven given him the power to create miracles and signs and thus was able to find followers and convert them to Christianity.In Abkhazia, in those days he acted pagan rite, according to which the sacrificial altar brings not only animals, but also innocent babies.Local residents were also distributed to cannibalism.Through the efforts of St. Simon the locals realize how inhuman, cruel and savage, these ancient customs, and soon abandoned them.Simon the Zealot was also involved in healing and healed the sick the power of his prayers and simple touches.It is like nothing else, it gives confidence of the local population in him and his teachings.As a result, more and more Gentiles asked Zealot baptize them and took the Christian faith.
persecution and martyrdom
Aderky Georgian King - an ardent supporter of the pagan faith - started the persecution of the apostle and his followers.As a result, Simon the Zealot was captured and after much torture brutally murdered.Some evidence is mentioned that he was crucified on the cross, in others - saw sawed alive.His lifeless body was buried near his disciples of the cave in which he spent the last years of his life.After that, many needy, the sick and the destitute came to his tomb to pray for help and salvation, and the number of believers in Christ grew with each passing day.
Temple, dedicated to the apostle Simon the Zealot
After more than 800 years, from the Greek city of Athos came to the tomb of the Apostle Christian pilgrims.They erected near the grave Zealot white temple of the local limestone rocks, and the nearby village has since become known as New Athos.In the 11-12 th centuries, Abkhazia became a Christian state.From now on all territory of Abkhazia began to be erected monasteries, temples and churches.Later, she was attacked by the Arabs: the majority of Christian churches, including Simon the Zealot, were destroyed, and the people under duress Arab invaders converted to Islam.
In the 19th century, after the entry of Abkhazia into the Russian Empire, in these places once again began to spread Christianity and was increasingly referred to the name - Simon the Zealot.The temple, once dedicated to him was restored, and began construction near New Athos Simon the Zealot monastery, which became a major Orthodox spiritual and educational center in the entire Caucasus Black Sea coast.The eponymous cathedral, which is located in the center of the monastery complex is a fine example of orthodox architecture from the late 19th century.Its interior walls are decorated with beautiful icons of the work of skilled craftsmen, and musical chimes the bell tower of the Cathedral were donated by the Russian Emperor Alexander III.
Conclusion
Today this place is located near the town of New Athos in Abkhazia, it is one of the main attractions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.This spiritual and historical complex includes the monastery, the church and the cave (grotto of St. Simon), which prior to the martyrdom of Simon the Zealot lived - one of the first disciples of Jesus Christ.Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come for a blessing, and in the hope of improvement on his grave.
