John the Apostle

Who was John the Apostle? Son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve. Tradition says he died old in Ephesus and lies in the Basilica of St John at Selçuk.

Burial place
Ayasuluk Hill, Selçuk (İzmir) (Tradition)
Manner of death
Of old age, by tradition (Tradition: John 21:23, Acts 12:2)
Place of death
Ephesus (today Selçuk, İzmir) (Tradition: Revelation 1:9)
Age at death
Unknown; said to have died very old (Not stated in the Bible)
Era
1st century AD (Historical estimate: Galatians 2:9)

John was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. A fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, he left the boat and his father to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:21–22). With Peter and James he was among Jesus' closest three, and Jesus gave the brothers the name Boanerges, 'Sons of Thunder'. Paul counts him among the pillars of the Jerusalem church. Tradition regards him as 'the disciple Jesus loved' and the author of John's Gospel, three letters and Revelation. It also says he took Mary to Ephesus, a story tied to the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St John at Selçuk. He is not John the Baptist.

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Where is the tomb of St John the Apostle?

According to church tradition, the tomb of John the Apostle lies on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, İzmir, beside ancient Ephesus. In the 6th century Emperor Justinian replaced an earlier, smaller church there with the great Basilica of St John, built over the grave. The ruins are open to visitors today, and the tomb is marked near the centre of the building. The Bible itself does not say where John was buried.

How did John the Apostle die?

According to the widely held church tradition, John the Apostle was not martyred but died of old age in Ephesus, which is why he is usually remembered as the one apostle who did not die a martyr. The Bible does not describe his death, but John's Gospel explains that a rumour that the disciple Jesus loved, traditionally identified as John, would not die was a misunderstanding (John 21:23). His brother James, by contrast, was killed with the sword by King Herod (Acts 12:2).

Where did John the Apostle die?

Early church tradition holds that John the Apostle died in Ephesus, within today's Selçuk district of İzmir. In the 2nd century Irenaeus, a native of Smyrna who became bishop of Lyon, wrote that John lived in Ephesus until the reign of Trajan, and Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, said John was buried there. According to Revelation, John spent time on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9); tradition says he later returned to Ephesus.

How old was John the Apostle when he died?

The Bible does not say how old John was when he died, and no reliable figure is known. Church tradition says he was still alive under Emperor Trajan (AD 98–117). If, as is often assumed, he followed Jesus as a young man, he would have been very old at his death; figures such as 90 or 100 that circulate are only guesses.

When did John the Apostle live and die?

John the Apostle lived in the 1st century AD; historians estimate that he died around AD 100. His years with Jesus are dated to around AD 30. Paul names John among the leaders regarded as pillars of the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9). His exact dates of birth and death are unknown.

Are John the Apostle and John the Baptist the same person?

No. John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus, and he was put to death by Herod Antipas. John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and one of Jesus' twelve apostles. Because both are called John in English, and some Turkish texts also use Yuhanna for the Baptist, they are sometimes confused.

What was John doing on Patmos?

The author of Revelation says he was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9), and he records the visions he received there. Church tradition identifies this John with the apostle and says he had been exiled to the island. Patmos is today a small Greek island in the Aegean, close to the Turkish coast.

When and where was John's Gospel written?

The exact date is unknown. Most scholars estimate that John's Gospel was written near the end of the 1st century, roughly AD 90–100. In the 2nd century Irenaeus reported that John published this Gospel while living at Ephesus in Asia.