One of the 12 apostles, son of fisherman Zebedee, from Bethsaida, disciple of John the Baptist. He was present in all important events of Christ’s life: stood by Christ’s cross and the crucified teacher committed his mother Mary to his care (John 19:26). Together with St. Peter he preached Christ in Jerusalem, but was persecuted by the Sanhedrim and was lashed. As tradition relates he was sent from Jerusalem to Rome where he endured Nero’s persecution of Christians, was seized and exiled to a deserted island Patmos where he received apocalyptic visions of the future of the Church and the world that constituted the last book of the New Testament: the Book of Revelation. He spent his last years at Ephesus where he wrote three epistles and the fourth Gospel. Feast days: 8 (21) May and 26 September (9 October).
He is also depicted on the north-east arch flange, in the evangelic compositions and akathist scenes as well as in the Last Judgement.
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