Peter the Apostle
Galilean fisherman, leading disciple of Jesus
- Original name
- Simeon or Simon
- Occupation
- Fisherman on the Sea of Galilee
- Died
- c. 64 CE, Rome (tradition)
- Letters attributed
- 1 Peter and 2 Peter
- Known for
- Leader among the Twelve apostles
Leader of Jesus' twelve apostles, traditionally martyred in Rome; the New Testament letter 2 Peter, under his name, mentions angels cast into Tartarus.
What is Peter the Apostle known for?
Peter, originally named Simeon or Simon, was a Jewish fisherman from Galilee who became the most prominent of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The Gospels show him as a spokesman for the disciples, and Acts makes him a leader of the early Jerusalem church. Catholic tradition holds that he was martyred in Rome around 64 CE and regards him as the first bishop of Rome.
Two New Testament letters carry his name. 1 Peter is debated; 2 Peter is widely regarded by modern scholars as written later by someone else in Peter's name, possibly in the early second century, though traditional readers accept it as his.
2 Peter 2:4 says God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them into Tartarus and chains of darkness. The verb used, tartaroo, borrows the name of the Greek prison of the Titans. Together with Jude 6, the verse is read by most scholars as an echo of the Watcher story in 1 Enoch.
The letter 2 Peter, attributed to him, uses the Greek word Tartarus for the prison of the fallen angels.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeTartarus
- Rabbit holeThe Watchers (Grigori)
- PassageAngels who left their habitation (Jude 6, 14–15)
- PassageTitans locked beneath the earth (Hesiod, Theogony 717–725)
- PersonRichard Bauckham
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Saint Peter the Apostle'Reference
- 2 Peter 2 (KJV), Bible GatewayPrimary text
- Wikipedia, 'Second Epistle of Peter'Reference
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