Standard abbreviation: List Euseb.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 214
Category: Lists of Apostles and Disciples
Related literature: Epistle of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy; Solomon of Basra, Book of the Bee 48
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University ([email protected])
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “List of the Apostles and Disciples, by Pseudo-Eusebius.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/list-of-apostles-and-disciples-by-pseudo-eusebius/.
Created May 2023.
1. SUMMARY
This lengthy list circulates often in Peshitta New Testament manuscripts alongside several other biblical supplementary materials. It is also incorporated in works by Syriac writers, such as Solomon of Basra. What distinguishes the list of apostles from others is the identification of each apostle’s tribe (e.g., Simon Peter is of the tribe of Naphtali); it also provides the name of the town each is from and some particulars about their preaching journeys and deaths. Some entries are particularly detailed. Peter is supplemented with some details from the canonical Acts, and it is stated that he founded the first church in Antioch and then preached in Rome for 27 years before his execution by Nero. Much is said also of John, who preached in Asia and was exiled to Patmos; upon his release he established the church in Ephesus. John was supported by two disciples, Ignatius and Polycarp, and upon his death he was buried, at his request, in an unmarked tomb. There is another tomb of John in Ephesus, but this is for his disciple of the same name who wrote the Apocalypse. After the list of apostles, James the Just appears, followed by John the Baptist, Ananias, Paul, Luke, and Mark. The entry for Paul incorporates the story of his decapitation and the reuniting of his head and body, a story found in the Epistle of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy.
The List of the Disciples begins with Addai and his successors Aggai and Thaddaeus. The remaining members of the 70 differ considerably from other lists and more information is provided about them than is usual—e.g., Mark, called John, taught at Nyssa and in the city of Nazianzus and was buried there.
Named historical figures and characters: Abgar, Abrion (disciple), Addai (apostle), Aggai, Alexander (disciple), Ananias (disciple), Andrew (apostle), Andronicus, Apollos, Aristobulus, Asher (patriarch), Asparqelios, Asyncritus, Auxition (disciple), Barnabas, Bartholomew (apostle), Benjamin (patriarch), Candace (queen), Cassian (king), Cephas, Claudius (emperor), Cornelius the Centurion, Crescens, Dan (patriarch), Demas (disciple), Domitian, Ephraim (patriarch), Eunuch of Candace, Gad (patriarch), Haban, Hermas, Herod Agrippa, Herod Antipas, Horos, Hurastah (king of Armenia), Ignatius, Issachar (patriarch), James (son of Alphaeus), James (son of Zebedee), James (the Righteous), Jason, John (son of Zebedee), John (the Baptist), John Mark, Jonah (disciple), Jonia, Joseph (the councillor), Judah (patriarch), Judas Iscariot, Justus, Karmos, Lazarus (of Bethany), Levi (disciple), Levi (patriarch), Lucius (disciple), Luke (evangelist), Manael, Manasseh (patriarch), Mark (evangelist), Martha (of Bethany), Mary (of Bethany), Matthew (apostle), Matthias (apostle), Metellius, Milus (disciple), Mustus (disciple), Naphtali (patriarch), Narcissus, Nathaniel, Nero, Nicetas, Nicodemus, Niger, Nunus/Jonas, Olympas, Omius (disciple), Onesimus, Patrobas, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philemon, Philip (apostle), Polycarp (bishop), Puli, Quartus, Reuben (patriarch), Rhodon, Rufus (son of Simon), Sawrus (son of Abgar), Silas, Silvanus (disciple), Simon (disciple), Simon (of Cyrene), Simon (son of Cleopas), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Simon the leper, Sixtus II (Bishop of Rome), Sosipater (disciple), Sosthenes, Stachys, Stephen, Stephen (martyr), Tabitha, Tertius, Thaddaeus (apostle), Theocritus (disciple), Theodorus (disciple), Thomas (apostle), Tiberius (emperor), Timothy, Titus, Trajan (emperor), Zacchaeus (disciple), Zebulon (patriarch).
Geographical locations: Accho, Achaea, Achaea Marmarica, Agrigento, Alexandria, Allepo, Antarados, Antioch, Arados, Arbel, Ardabin, Ardashir, Arethas, Aril, Armenia, Arwad, Ayn-Dor, Baalbeck, Baishan, Batnan, Beroea, Beth-Huzaye, Bethsaida, Byzantium, Caesarea, Calamine/Calamitide, Chalcedon, Chios, Claudia, Corinth, Crete, Cyr, Dalmatia, Damascus, Decapolis, Edessa, Emesa, Ephesus, Ethiopia, Gabala, Galilee, Gangra, Hebron, Hellas, Herakleia, Hibernia, Ilios, Illyricum, India, Isauria, Italy, Jerusalem, Jordan, Kallinikos, Kephar Gamala, Kirkesion, Kos, Laodicea, Mabbug, Melitene, Meskene, Nartun, Nazareth, Nazianzus, Nicaea, Nicomedia, Nyssa, Olympius, Palestine, Palmyra, Pamphylia, Paneas, Parin, Parpracana, Patmos, Patras, Perozhormiz, Phrygia, Pisidia, Pisidian Antioch, Pontus, Qartabul, Qinnasrin, Ramah, Rhodes, Rome, Samos, Samosata, Scariot, Scythia, Scythopolis, Sebaste, Serugh, Shiraz, Sicily, Sidon, Smyrna, Syria, Tarsus, Thessalonica, Tiberias, Timor, Tyre, Zeugma.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Arabic (List of Disciples only and with many expansions and transpositions; translated from the Syriac and contained in Abū-l-Barakāt, Lamp of Darkness 14 [14th cent.])
A Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 623, pp. 76–94 (16th cent.) ~ DigiVatLib
B Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 106, pp. 87–96 (1718)
Baumstark, Anton. “Abū-l-Barakāts nichtgriechisches Verzeichnis der 70 Jünger.” OrChr 1 (1901): 240–74 (Arabic text based on A and B with facing Latin translation, pp. 246–74).
Ibn Kabar. The Lamp that Light the Darkness in Clarifying the Service. Translated by William A. Hanna. St. Louis: St. Mary and St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church, 2000 (English translation, pp. 74–82).
3.1.2 Armenian (List of Apostles only)
Yerevan, Matenadaran 993, fol. 639 (1456)
Esbroeck, Michel van. “Neuf listes d’apôtres orientales.” Aug 34 (1994): 109–99 (edition, pp. 181–82; French trans., pp. 135–37).
3.1.3 Armenian Synaxarion (June 30) (List of Apostles includes names of tribes)
Bayan, George. “Les synaxaire arménien de ter-Israel XI: Mois de Margats.” PO 21 (1930): 543–678 (pp. 635–42).
3.1.2 Syriac
Lp London, British Library, Add. 17193, fols. 163v–164v (874) ~ anonymous
Le London, British Library, Or. 2695, fols. 163v–164v (9th cent.)
S Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, syr. 10, fol. 213v–216v (9th cent.) ~ List of Apostles only; List of Disciples is based on Anonymus II; LOC
Additional Manuscripts:
Cambridge (Mass.), Harvard Houghton Library, syr. 4, fols. 334v–337r (1199/1200) ~ CATALOG; IMAGES
Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 148, fols. 3v–4v, 6r–7r; fols. 328r–331v (1613) ~ IMAGES
Karkūk, Chaldean Archdiocese of Karkūk, 213, fols. 255v–261r (1723)
London, British Library, Add. 7158 (1027)
London, British and Foreign Bible Society, 446 (1205/1206)
New York, Morgan Library and Museum, M235 (1212/1213) ~ CATALOG
Pampakuda, Konat Collection, 32, fols. 61v–62r (1757) ~ Apostles only, in a briefer form; HMML
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Syr. 342, fols. 250r–253v (894) ~ GALLICA
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borg. sir. 74, fols. 10r–11v (15th cent.) ~DVL
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. sir. 159, fol. 452r–? (17th cent.)
Trichur, Chaldean Syrian Church, 125, pp. 533–546 (16th/17th cent.) ~ HMML
Esbroeck, Michel van. “Neuf listes d’apôtres orientales.” Aug 34 (1994): 109–99 (edition of BL Add. 17193, pp. 185–92; French trans., pp. 141–52; edition of BL Or. 2695, pp. 192–99; French trans., pp. 153–60).
Haase, Felix. Apostel und Evangelisten in den orientalischen Überlieferungen. NTAbh 9.1–3. Münster in Westfalen: Asschendforffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1922 (German translation of apostle list from Vat. sir. 159, pp. 292–94).
Lewis, Agnes Smith. Catalogue of the Syriac MSS in the Convent of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Studia Sinaitica 1. London: C. J. Clay & Sons, 1894 (edition by Rendel Harris based on Sinai syr. 10, p. 4–16).
Schermann, Theodor. Prophetarum vitae fabulosae, indices apostolorum discipulorumque Domini, Dorotheo, Epiphanio, Hippolyto aliisque vindicata. Leipzig: B. G. Teubneri, 1907 (Latin translation based on S, pp. 218–21).
3.1.2.3 Additional Syriac Sources
Michael the Syrian, Chronicle 5.10 (List of Apostles only):
Chabot, Jean-Baptiste, ed. Chronique de Michel le Syrien. 4 vols. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1899–1963 (vol. 4, p. 92).
Chabot, Jean-Baptiste, trans. Chronique de Michel le Syrien. 4 vols. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1899–1963 (vol. 1, p. 146–47).
Jacob Bar-Salibi, Commentary on Matthew 10.2–4:
Chabot, Jean-Baptiste, ed. Chronique de Michel le Syrien. 4 vols. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1899–1963 (vol. 4, pp. 92–93).
Chabot, Jean-Baptiste, trans. Chronique de Michel le Syrien. 4 vols. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1899–1963 (vol. 1, p. 147–52).
Bar-Hebraeus, Chronicon ecclesiasticum (List of Apostles only):
Gregorii Barhebraei. Chronicon ecclesiasticum. Edited and translated by Joannes-Baptista Abbeloos and Thomas Joseph Lamy. 3 vols. Paris: Maisonneuve & co.; Leuven: Peeters, 1872–1877 (Syriac text and parallel Latin translation, vol. 1, cols. 32–34).
Solomon of Basra, Book of the Bee 48:
Budge, E. A. W. Budge, The Book of the Bee: The Syriac Text Edited from the Manuscripts in London, Oxford, Munich, with an English Translation. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Semitic Series 1 part 2. Oxford: Clarendon, 1886 (Syriac text, pp. 117–27 [Syriac numbering], English translation, pp. 103–13).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 French
Esbroeck, Michel van. “Neuf listes d’apôtres orientales.” Aug 34 (1994): 109–99 (Armenian edition, pp. 181–82; French trans., pp. 135–37; edition of BL Add. 17193, pp. 185–92; French trans., pp. 141–52; edition of BL Or. 2695, pp. 192–99; French trans., pp. 153–60).
3.3 General Works
Esbroeck, Michel van. “Deux listes d’apôtres conservées en syriaque.” Pages 15–24 in IIIe Symposium Syriacum. Les contacts du monde syriaque avec les autres cultures. Edited by René Lavenant. OCA 221. Rome: Pont. Institutum studiorum orientalium, 1983.
Leloir, Louis. Écrits apocryphes sur les apôtres. CCSA 3–4. 2 vols. Turnhout: Brepols, 1986–1992 (introduction, vol. 2, pp. 711–22).
Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig: Schwetschke, 1883–1890; reprinted Amsterdam: APA-philo, 1976 (see vol. 1, pp. 179–224).
Schermann, Theodor. Propheten- und Apostellegenden nebst Jüngerkatalogen des Dorotheus und verwandter Texte. TUGAL 31/3. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1907 (pp. 172–74).
Vinogradov, Andrey. “Апостольские списки – «забытая» страница христианской литературы [Apostolic Lists: A “Forgotten” Page of Christian Literature].” Богословские труды 40 (2005): 128–47 (includes table comparing the Syriac and Armenian lists of apostles, pp. 139–42).