Praedicatio Simonis Cananaei
Standard abbreviation: Pre. Sim. Can.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 221; CANT 282.1
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Martyrdom of Simon the Canaanite; Acts of Simon and Theonoe
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Preaching of Simon the Canaanite.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/preaching-of-simon-the-canaanite/.
Created May 2020. Current as of January 2024.
1. SUMMARY
The title of the work in Arabic identifies the subject of the text as “Simon, son of Cleophas, called Jude, who is Nathanael called the Zealot” and bishop of Jerusalem after James the Just. The Synoptic Gospels include a “Simon the Canaanean” (Simon “the Zealot” in Luke and Acts 1:13) among the Twelve Apostles. The Greek, Coptic, and Ethiopian churches identify him as Nathanael of Cana. Some sources, including the Chronicon paschale identify Simon the Canaanite as Simon son of Clopas (John 19:25), the successor of James the Righteous as bishop of Jerusalem (Eusebius, Hist. eccl. III.32; IV.5). Eusebius appeals to Hegesippus for traditions of his martyrdom: “Some of these [heretics] charged Simon son of Clopas with being a descendant of David and a Christian, as a result he suffered martyrdom at the age of 120, when Trajan was emperor and Atticus consular governor.” Hegessippus also says he was tortured for days and crucified. Eusebius concludes from this that he was an “eyewitness and earwitness of the Lord.”
The text begins with the familiar scene of the disciples drawing lots on the Mount of Olives to determine where they will preach. Simon (at first called Jude the Galilean) draws Samaria and asks Peter to accompany him. Jesus says that Peter is supposed to go to Rome but he can accompany Simon on the way. Simon is told that after his mission is completed, he must return to Jerusalem and be bishop after James.
When he reaches Samaria, Simon goes to a synagogue and speaks to the Jews there, but they rise up against him, beat him, and remove him from the city. There Peter takes his leave. Simon returns to the synagogue and preaches for three days. The ruler of the synagogue (named Cornelius in Sinai arab. 539 and Ethiopic text, but Marcellus in the Deir al-Surian manuscript) has a son named James, who becomes sick and dies. At the suggestion of one of Simon’s converts, Cornelius calls for Simon and promises him that if he raises his son, he will believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Simon prays to Jesus and then commands the boy to rise. When he does, everyone present declares that Jesus is the one God and the boy’s parents are baptized. Simon commands them to build a church and appoints Cornelius its first bishop; others become presbyters and deacons. Simon stays a month and then returns to Jerusalem where he becomes bishop after the death of James.
Named Historical Figures and Characters: Cornelius (of Samaria), Holy Spirit, James (the Righteous), James (son of Cornelius), Jesus Christ, Peter (apostle), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Simon (son of Cleopas), Trajan (emperor).
Geographical Locations: Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Rome, Samaria.
2. RESOURCES
2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources
“Simeon of Jerusalem.” Wikipedia.
“Simon the Zealot.” Wikipedia.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Arabic (BHO 1110)
3.1.1.1 Arabic Script
Beirut, Bibliothèque Orientale de l’Université Saint Joseph, 1426 (1855) ~ contents unconfirmed
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Graf 472 (18th cent.)
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 1 (13th/14th cent.)
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 2 (14th cent.)
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 3 (1626)
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 6 (not dated) ~ contents unconfirmed
Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 16 (15th cent.)
Cairo, Coptic Museum, 60, fols. 213v–215v (19th cent.)
Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Magl. III 29, fols. 169v–172r (ante 1664)
Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Or. 1067 (Tischendorf 32) (15th cent.)
Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 402, fols. 123v–126v (1258/1259) ~ LOC
Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 403 ~ fols. 298r–301r (1258/1259)
Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 406, 1 (1258/1259) ~ identification uncertain; LOC
Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 539, fols. 185r–186v (12th cent.)
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. Ar. 541 (Nicoll 49), fols. 66v–67v (18th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 81 (16th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 4770, fols. 292v–295v (19th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borg. ar. 223 (1729)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 500, fols. 149v–152r (15th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 171, fols. 132v–134v (17th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 694, fols. 52v–54r (14th cent.)
Wadi El-Natrun, Monastery of the Syrians (Dayr al-Suryān), no shelf number, fols. 120r–122r (14th cent.)
3.1.1.2 Garšūnī Script
Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 40, fols. 168v–171r (ca. 1750)
Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 446, fols. 246r–247r (ca. 1750)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Syr. 232, fols. 292r–293r (17th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 124, fols. 149r–151v (16th cent.)
Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 446 (ca. 1750) – includes Peter Faust. fol. 49r-61r, Thomas 189r-204v, Matthew 208v-217v; Simon fol. 244v-247r
Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Arabic manuscripts of the Arabic acts collection, pp. 97–101).
Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944 (manuscripts listed, vol. 1, pp. 258–65).
Gibson, Margaret Dunlop. Apocrypha Sinaitica. Studia Sinaitica 5. London: C. J. Clay & Sons, 1896 (Arabic text from Sinai arab. 539, pp. 65–67 [Arabic numbering]).
Lewis, Agnes Smith, ed. Acta Mythologica Apostolorum, Transcribed from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine, on Mount Sinai. Horae Semiticae 3. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904 (Arabic text based on unidentified Deir al-Surian MS, pp. 96–98).
3.1.2 Coptic (CPC 0570; PAThs entry; see link for editions)
MONB.DM, p. 164 (10th–12th cent.)
3.1.3 Ethiopic (BHO 1111)
London, British Library, Or. 678, fols. 26r–27v (15th cent.)
London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 111r–112r (17th cent.)
London, British Library, Or. 685, fols. 27r–28r (18th cent.)
Manchester, John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, fols. 22v–24v (19th cent.)
Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Arabic manuscripts of the Ethiopic acts collection, pp. 93–97).
Budge, Ernest A. W. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 1. London: Henry Frowde, 1899 (Ethiopic text based on British Library, Or. 678 and 683, pp. 67–70).
Pisani, Vitagrazia. “The apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: unknown witnesses from East Tәgray.” Pages 75–93 in Essays in Ethiopian Manuscript Studies. Proceedings of the International Conference Manuscripts and Texts, Languages and Contexts: the Transmission of Knowledge in the Horn of Africa. Hamburg, 17–19 July 2014. Edited by Alessandro Bausi, Alessandro Gori, and Denis Nosnitsin. Supplements to Aethiopica 4. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2015 (descriptions of ten Ethiopic manuscripts cataloged for the Ethio-SPaRe project).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Budge, Ernest A. W. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 2 (English translations). London: Henry Frowde, 1901 (English translation of the Ethiopic text, pp. 70–74).
Gibson, Margaret Dunlop. Apocrypha Sinaitica. Studia Sinaitica 5. London: C. J. Clay & Sons, 1896 (English translation of the Arabic text from Sinai arab. 539, pp. 62–64).
Lewis, Agnes Smith. The Mythological Acts of the Apostles, Translated from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine on Mount Sinai and in the Vatican Library. Horae Semiticae 4. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904 (English translation of the Arabic text from the unidentified Deir al-Surian MS, pp. 115–17).
Malan, Solomon C. The Conflicts of the Holy Apostles, An Apocryphal Book of the Early Eastern Church. London: D. Nutt, 1871 (English translation of the Ethiopic text based on Rylands Eth. 6, pp. 24–27).
3.2.2 Italian
Guidi, Ignazio. “Gli Atti apocrifi degli Apostoli nei testi copti, arabi ed etiopici.” Giornale della Società asiatica italiana 2 (1888): 1–66 (translation of Coptic text from the Vatican fragments of MONB.DM, pp. 20–21).
3.3 General Works
Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:152–54).
McDowell, Sean. The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. Abingdon: Ashgate, 2008. Repr. London and New York: Routledge, 2015 (pp. 245–50).
Otero, Aurelio de Santos. “Later Acts of the Apostles.” Pages 426–82 in New Testament Apocrypha. Vol. 2: Writings Related to the Apostles, Apocalypses and Related Subjects. Edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McLachlan Wilson. 6th ed. 2 vols. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992 (see pp. 479–80).