The Martyrdom of the Apostles

By Ray Konig
Published: November 8, 2025
Revised: November 15, 2025

1. Bartholomew (Nathanael)

Death: A common tradition depicts him as being flayed alive and beheaded in Armenia.

Sources: Eusebius, a 4th century Christian theologian and historian, in his Ecclesiastical History, 5.10.3, notes Bartholomew’s missionary work in India but does not mention his death. The Martyrdom of Bartholomew, possibly from the 4th century and highly legendary, claims he also preached in an eastern kingdom, which is believed to be Armenia, and that he was flayed alive and beheaded.

Reliability: Low. Eusebius does not mention a martyr’s death for Bartholomew. The earliest known attestation of martyrdom comes from the highly legendary collection of writings known as the Martyrdom of Bartholomew, which possibly originate in the 4th century.

Bartholomew is one of the original Twelve Apostles. He is mentioned in the New Testament in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, and Acts 1:13. Many scholars believe that the name Bartholomew is a surname, as in “son of Tolmai,” and that his personal name is Nathanael (John 1:45–51, John 21:2), meaning the Bartholomew who is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke is the same person as the Nathanael who is mentioned in the Gospel of John. The names of the Twelve Apostles are given in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13.

In the Gospel of John, Nathanael (Bartholomew) confesses that Jesus is the promised Messiah, that he is the son of God and the King of Israel (John 1:43-50). Despite this early confession from Nathanael (Bartholomew), which was given as Jesus was about to start his public ministry, the Gospel narratives clearly establish that it took time for the Apostles to fully understand and believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

2. James son of Alphaeus (James the Younger)

Death: There is no reliable martyrdom tradition for James son of Alphaeus, also known as James the Younger (Mark 15:40). Early writers, outside of the Bible, conflated him with James the Just, who was stoned to death in Jerusalem in about AD 62.

Sources: In regard to James the Just, a 1st century Jewish historian named Josephus wrote that he was stoned to death in Jerusalem, by religious leaders who opposed the Christian movement, in The Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1. Eusebius (4th century) quotes Hegesippus (2nd century) in Ecclesiastical History 2.23 in saying that James the Just was thrown from the top of the Temple before being beaten and stoned to death.

Reliability: High, for James the Just. He has, in Josephus, a 1st century reference to his martyrdom.

Some early writers, outside of the Bible, believed that James son of Alphaeus is the same person as James the Just. Some theologians, even today, continue to hold this view while others view James son of Alphaeus and James the Just as two different people.

James son of Alphaeus is one of the original Twelve Apostles. He is mentioned in each of the four lists of Apostles given in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He also is known as James the Less or James the Younger. As indicated in Mark 15:40, he is younger than another Apostle named James -- James son of Zebedee -- who is sometimes called James the Greater.

James the Just was a half-brother to Jesus or a relative raised as a brother to Jesus, based on Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, Galatians 1:19, John 7:3-5, Acts 1:14. It is possible that he did not believe in Jesus during the time of Jesus’ public ministry (John 7:3-5), but became a believer after the resurrection of Jesus. He also became a leader of Christians (Acts 12:17, 15:13–21, 21:18; Galatians 1:19, 2:9, 2:12). The New Testament epistle of James is often attributed to James the Just.

3. Andrew (Peter’s brother)

Death: A common tradition relates that he was crucified upside down on a cross shaped like an X in Achaia (southern Greece).

Sources: The apocryphal Acts of Andrew (2nd century). Eusebius (4th century) in Ecclesiastical History 3.1.1 says Andrew preached in Scythia (north and west of Black Sea) but does not mention his death.

Reliability: Moderate to low. For Andrew we have a somewhat early tradition for his martyrdom with the apocryphal Acts of Andrew, which might have been composed during the 2nd century. This work is not part of the Bible. It is a non-sacred and non-Biblical text.

Andrew is one of the original Twelve Apostles. He is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He is a brother to Peter who served as the spokesman of the Apostles during the public ministry of Jesus. Andrew is the one who told Peter about Jesus shortly before Jesus began his public ministry (John 1:40-42). Andrew, like Peter and Philip, was from Bethsaida. It is interesting to note that we have traditions or legends that each of these three Apostles were crucified upside down.

4. Judas Iscariot

Death: Not a martyr. Took his own life after betraying Jesus.

Source: Canonical Gospels and Acts (Matthew 27:1-5, Acts 1:18).

Reliability: Highest. The report of his death comes directly from the Bible.

Judas Iscariot is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He took his own life after betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:1-5, Acts 1:18). He conspired with religious leaders who opposed Jesus and gave them a time and place to arrest Jesus without risking public interference (Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:1-6, John 13:2). He then led a group of armed men, who had been hired by the religious leaders, to arrest Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:47-50, Mark 14:43-46, Luke 22:47-48, John 18:2-5).

The Gospel writers indicate that Judas Iscariot was motivated by money (Matthew 26:15, John 12:6) and that Satan had entered into Judas (Luke 22:3, John 13:27). They also relate that Jesus knew the true nature of Judas Iscariot (Matthew 26:20-25, John 13:18-30), from the very beginning (John 6:70-71).

5. Peter (Simon Peter)

Death: Crucified upside down in Rome in about AD 64.

Source: Clement of Rome (1st century) establishes that Peter died as a martyr, but does not say how, in The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, 5:4-7, ca. AD 95. Tertullian, in Scorpiace 15 (c. AD 200), states that Peter was crucified. Origen (3rd century) is quoted by Eusebius (4th century) in Ecclesiastical History 3.1.2 that he was crucified upside-down in Rome. Each of these texts are non-Biblical.

Reliability: Very high for the detail that Peter died as a martyr, because it was recorded in the 1st century, and moderate to high for the detail that he was crucified upside down, which comes from the 3rd and 4th centuries.

Peter is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He served as the spokesman for the Twelve Apostles during the public ministry of Jesus, which, by some estimates, lasted three-and-a-half years from late AD 26 to early AD 30.

The writing of the New Testament book of Acts covers the early history of Christianity from the ascension of Jesus (about AD 30) to the arrest of Paul the Evangelist (about AD 62). Peter is said to have died a short time after that. The reports of his death by Clement of Rome, Tertullian and Eusebius are featured in writings that are not part of the Bible. His death, given the information provided by Clement of Rome, took place during the time of Nero, who heavily persecuted Christians throughout the Roman Empire.

6. John (son of Zebedee)

Death: A common tradition is that John was not martyred but died of old age in Ephesus, after exile on Patmos.

Sources: Irenaeus (2nd century), in his Against Heresies 2.22.5 and 3.3.4 (ca. AD 180), places John in Ephesus and says he was still alive during the time of Roman Emperor Trajan, who began his reign in AD 98. Polycrates of Ephesus (2nd century), as quoted by Eusebius (4th century), in Ecclesiastical History 5.24.2-3, reports that John “fell asleep” (died) in Ephesus.

Reliability: High. We have three early sources (Irenaeus, Polycrates of Ephesus and Eusebius) who place John in Ephesus, and an early account from Polycrates of Ephesus reporting that John died there.

John son of Zebedee is the brother of the James son of Zebedee. He and his brother are named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. John is the author of the Gospel of John, the epistles 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, and the book of Revelation.

Given the details provided by Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History 3.23.6, and those from Polycrates of Ephesus in Ecclesiastical History 5.24.2-3, it appears that John was exiled to the island of Patmos until AD 98 and that he then moved to Ephesus and continued to work for the church until he died. Given his advanced age, and the fact that there are no early martyrdom traditions for John, it is possible that John died naturally of old age.

John is generally believed to have been very young, perhaps a teenager, when he became a disciple to Jesus. He likely would have been at least in his 80s by the time he left Patmos.

There are legends from medieval times that John died by being beheaded, or stoned to death, or boiled alive, but these legends are many centuries removed the time of John, and they have no early corraboration.

7. Thomas (Didymus)

Death: Speared to death in India.

Sources: The apocryphal Acts of Thomas (3rd century) says he preached in India and was speared to death by the order of a ruler named Misdaeus. Archaeological corroboration: ancient Christian community in southern India acknowledging Thomas as founder.

Reliability: Moderate to high. The apocryphal Acts of Thomas, which is dated by some as early as AD 200, is widely regarded as legendary but as possibly preserving early traditions of an eastern mission and martyrdom for Thomas. There also is supporting archaeological corroboration.

Thomas is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He is best known for doubting that Jesus had been resurrected when other Apostles informed him that Jesus had risen from the grave after his crucifixion. Thomas later meets the resurrected Jesus and confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and that Jesus is God incarnate (John 20:24-28).

Early Christian traditions claim that Thomas preached in Parthia and India during the 50s and 60s. Today, there are several churches in India that are traditionally believed to have been founded by Thomas, including:

• Palayur Mar Thoma Major Archiepiscopal Church, also known as St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, in the Thrissur district, is said to have been founded by Thomas in AD 52.
• Thiruvithamcode Arappally, also known as St. Mary’s Church, is said to have been founded by Thomas in AD 63. It is one of the oldest extant Christian church structures. It is located in Thiruvithamcode in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu.
• Santhome, also known as the San Thome Basilica or Saint Thomas Basilica, stands at the site of the traditional tomb of Thomas. The existing structure is late, but the tradition of the Thomas’ martyrdom there is ancient. It is in Mylapore, in Chennai city (formerly Madras).
• Parangimalai, also known as St. Thomas Mount, is a shrine that marks the spot traditionally associated with Thomas’ martyrdom. It is in the Chennai district of Tamil Nadu.

8. James son of Zebedee (James the Greater)

Death: Killed by sword in Jerusalem by the order of King Herod Agrippa I in about AD 44.

Source: Canonical Book of Acts (Acts 12:1-2).

Reliability: Highest. His record of martyrdom comes directly from the New Testament book of Acts, which was written during the 1st century.

The martyrdom of James son of Zebedee is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 12:1-2. He was executed, with a sword, on the command of King Herod Agrippa I, in about the year 44 AD:

1 Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. 2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. (Acts 12:1-3, WEB)

The King Herod in verse 1 is King Herod Agrippa I, who governed much of Israel on behalf of the Roman Empire, from AD 41-44. He was not a Jew or otherwise an Israelite. He was of Idumean, Samaritan and Arab descent. His grandfather, King Herod the Great, who reigned from about 37-4 BC, became the first foreigner to rule as a king enthroned in Jerusalem over the Jews of Israel. Herod the Great died a few years after Jesus was born.

Agrippa, like his grandfather, presented himself as a Judaist and sought to win the favor of Israel’s religious leaders, many of whom opposed Jesus during his public ministry and continued to oppose the Christian movement after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. As reflected in Acts 12:3, Agrippa persecuted Christians to appease the Judaists who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

The word Jews in Acts 12:3 is not referring to people by ethnicity or heritage in the way that it would today for modern English speakers. Instead, it is being used to refer to religious affiliation, specifically in regard to the Judaists of that time who rejected Jesus as the Messiah who was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament.

James the son of Zebedee is a brother to John the Apostle. He, like John and Peter, was in the inner circle of Apostles to Jesus and was present when Jesus restored to life Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56), and during the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36).

9. Philip

Death: Crucified upside down in Hierapolis, perhaps in AD 54.

Sources: Polycrates of Ephesus (2nd century), as quoted by Eusebius (3rd century), in Ecclesiastical History 3.31.3 and 5.24.2, says Philip died in Hierapolis and was buried there. The apocryphal Acts of Philip (3rd or 4th century) provides the detail that he was crucified upside down.

Reliability: Low to moderate. Polycrates and Eusebius place Philip in Hierapolis and say that he died there, but the detail that was crucified upside comes later from an apocryphal work.

Philip is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. Like Peter and Andrew, he was from Bethsaida. And like them, there is a tradition that he was crucified upside down.

Archaeologists in 2011 discovered a tomb in Hierapolis that is believed to be that of Philip, as reported by various news outlets, including The Jerusalem Post:

“A team of Italian archaeologists has announced the discovery of what they believe to be the tomb of Philip, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, at the ancient Asia Minor city of Hierapolis in Turkey’s Aegean province of Denizli, and are planning to excavate the unopened grave soon. The discovery of the grave of the New Testament saint, who came to Hierapolis - known today as Pamukkale - nearly 2,000 years ago to spread the Gospel and was crucified upside down by the Romans, will attract immense attention around the world, said excavator Francesco D'Andria, director of the Institute of Archaeological Heritage, Monuments and Sites at Italy's National Research Council in Lecce.” - Apostle Philips tomb found in Turkey, which was published by The Jerusalem Post on August 11, 2011.

10. Matthew (Levi)

Death: Perhaps speared to death in Nadabah (Ethiopia), in AD 60.

Sources: Hippolytus (early 3rd century), in On the Twelve Apostles, says Matthew “fell asleep” (died) at Hierees, a town of Parthia, but does not give details about the nature of his death. Later apocryphal traditions, including those from the Acts of Matthew (late 4th century), are conflicting.

Reliability: Lowest. The oldest sources, including Hippolytus, Eusebius and Jerome, do not have a martyrdom account for Matthew. Later apocryphal writings have conflicting details. A common, but late, tradition, as related by John Foxe (16th century), claims that Matthew was speared to death in Nadabah.

Matthew, who is one of the original Twelve Apostles, is also known as Levi. He is named in all four Apostle lists in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13. He was a tax collector band is the author of the New Testament’s Gospel of Matthew.

Eusebius and Jerome, both of whom were Christian historians from the 4th century, affirm that Matthew preached in Ethiopia but offer no accounts of his death.

Perhaps the most commonly cited account of a martyrdom for Matthew comes from John Foxe during the 16th century:

[Matthew] Whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer, was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less. The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60.” - John Foxe, Book of Martyrs, as accessed November 10, 2025, at Gutenberg.org. Foxe’s book also is known as Acts and Monuments.

11. Thaddaeus (Judas son of James)

Death: One legend claims he was martyred with Simon the Zealot in Persia.

Sources: Hippolytus (early 3rd century), in On the Twelve Apostles, says Thaddaeus preached in Edessa and “and fell asleep at Berytus, and was buried there.” Pseudo-Abdias (6th century) claims he was martyred in Persia with Simon the Zealot.

Reliability: Lowest. Contradictory traditions. The traditions claiming martyrdom are late with no ancient corroboration.

The Apostle named Thaddaeus is widely understood to be the same person as the Apostle named Judas son of James. A commonly held view is that Thaddaeus is a nickname. The lists of Apostles in Matthew 10:2-4 and Mark 3:14-19 include the name Thaddaeus but omit the name Judas the son of James, while the lists in Luke 6:13-16 and Acts 1:13 omit the name Thaddaeus but include the name Judas the son of James.

It is possible that the nickname of Thaddaeus, which can be translated as hearted or courageous, was employed to avoid confusion with Judas Iscariot, the Apostle who betrayed Jesus.

We do not have a reliable martyrdom tradition for Thaddaeus. It is possible that he died peacefully of old age. Eusebius places Thaddaeus in Edessa, which is in modern-day Turkey, and does not mention any manner of death for him, in Ecclesiastical History 1.13.

While we do not have any traditions or legends from 1st through 4th centuries for an alleged martyrdom of Thaddaeus, we do have a few medieval legends, however unreliable they might be. These include the Pseudo-Abdias and The Golden Legend.

The Pseudo-Abdias, which is the name given to a Latin collection of apostolic legends composed around the 6th century, claims that Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot were preaching together in Persia when they were killed by a mob that had been riled up by pagan priests.

The Golden Legend, which was written in the 13th century, adds more detail, claiming that the angry mob killed Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot with clubs and swords. It also specifies a region, Suanir, which is interpreted as being a region in Persia.

12. Simon the Zealot

Death: Late legend claims he was martyred with Thaddaeus in Persia. Earlier report indicates he died peacefully in Jerusalem.

Source: Hippolytus (early 3rd century), in On the Twelve Apostles, indicates that Simon the Zealot served as a leader of Christians in Jerusalem after the death of James the Just and “fell asleep” and was buried there. Pseudo-Abdias (6th century) claims he was martyred in Persia with Thaddaeus.

Reliability: Lowest. We have highly contradictory claims for Simon the Zealot, ranging from being martyred in Persia to dying peacefully in Jerusalem.

Simon the Zealot is paired with Thaddeus, also known as Judas son of James, in each of the lists of Apostle names in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16 and Acts 1:13. And, he is paired with Thaddaeus in death, according to a legendary account that appears to have been developed more than 500 years after the time of the Gospels.

The Pseudo-Abdias, which might have been composed as early as the 6th century, claims that Simon and Zealot and Thaddaeus were preaching together in Persia when they were killed by a mob that had been incited by pagan priests.

The Golden Legend, which was written in the 13th century, adds more detail to the story, claiming that the angry mob killed them with clubs and swords.

Unlike Thaddaeus, we have additional legends for Simon the Zealot, including that he was crucified in Africa:

[Simon] Surnamed Zelotes, preached the gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, which latter country he was crucified, A. D. 74.” - John Foxe, Book of Martyrs, as accessed November 10, 2025, at Gutenberg.org.

And we have a record from Hippolytus (early 3rd century) that he died in Jerusalem, presumably of old age.

For a more detailed article about the martyrdom of the Apostles, please check out What happened to the Apostles? at About-Jesus.org.

© 2025 Ray Konig.

Ray Konig is the author of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Miracle Worker, and 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.