Yacht “Apostle Andrey. Yacht “Apostle Andrew” What was the last city that Apostle Andrew visited?
On December 13, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. "Orthodox Life" has prepared several interesting facts about the life of the apostle.
Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Byzantium. Greece. Macedonia. XIV century Location: USA, Baltimore, Walters Art Museum
1. When did the Apostle Andrew first see Jesus Christ?
Andrew was born in Vibsaida, the son of Jonah and the brother of the Apostle Peter. Together with his brother, they were fishermen. Having learned that John the Baptist was preaching in the Jordan and talking about the coming of the Messiah, Andrei went to the Jordan and became a disciple of John the Baptist. There are differences in the descriptions of the evangelists Matthew and John of the meeting of the Apostle Andrew with the Savior. John narrates that Andrew first saw the Savior when the holy Forerunner pointed to the walking Jesus Christ, “Behold the Lamb of God,” Matthew - that the Savior met the brothers on the shore of Lake Gennesaret when they were fishing and turned to them with the words: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In both cases, Apostle Andrew unconditionally believes in Christ and makes a decision without delay or doubt. He leaves his home, household, networks and, without hesitation, follows Christ...
The calling of Simon and Andrew to apostolic service (Mark 1:14-18). XI century One of 72 bronze door plates Cathedral (Duomo di Benevento). 1170-1220 Italy, Benevento
2. What episodes are there in the Gospel associated with the name of the Apostle Andrew?
It was the Apostle Andrew who pointed out to Christ a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, which were then miraculously multiplied to feed the crowd (John 6:8-9). Together with Philip, he brought to the Savior some Greeks who wanted to worship the true God (John 12:20-22). Andrew was also one of the four disciples of Jesus, to whom He told on the Mount of Olives about the destinies of the world (Mark 13:3).
3. Was the Apostle Andrew in Rus'?
On the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, and they spoke in different languages. Then the apostles cast lots: who should go to which country to preach. Andrew received the lands of Bethany and Propontis, the lands of Thrace and Macedonia, as well as the lands of Thessaly and Scythia. He went through all these countries preaching the Gospel to the pagans.
It is not known exactly how far the apostle went north in his wanderings. A later legend has been preserved that he climbed up the Dnieper and consecrated the place on which the city of Kyiv was later built. He also got to the Novgorod land and was surprised at the Slavic custom of taking a steam bath. The Apostle Andrew’s visit to the Russian land is described in the “Sermon on Law and Grace” (1051) by Metropolitan Hilarion of Kyiv, as well as in the “Tale of Bygone Years.”
Apostle Andrew the First-Called, mosaic "Christ and the 12 Apostles", fragment. VI century Italy. Ravenna. Basilica of San Vitale. Altar
4. Who erected the cross on the Kyiv mountains?
According to legend, the Apostle Andrew, having decided to go from Korsun to Rome, climbed up the Dnieper and stopped for the night in the Kyiv mountains. Rising in the morning, he said: “Believe me, the grace of God will shine on these mountains, a great city will be here, and the Lord will erect many churches there and enlighten this entire land with holy baptism.” Then the saint blessed the mountains and erected a cross.
5. What was the last city the Apostle Andrew visited?
The Apostle Andrew suffered a lot from the pagans on his way. He was expelled from cities and stoned. But he still relentlessly continued to preach about the Savior and performed miracles. The last city where Saint Andrew came and where he was destined to die a martyr’s death was the city of Patras. There he also performed many miracles and preached tirelessly and passionately. Almost all the citizens of the city converted to Christianity. But the ruler Egeat remained a pagan. It was he who ordered the execution of the apostle.
6. How did they want to save the apostle from martyrdom?
When the holy apostle was placed in prison, the people turned to him. They wanted to kill Egeat and free Andrei from prison. But the apostle restrained them, saying: “Do not turn the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into a devilish rebellion.” Our Lord, being betrayed to death, showed all patience, did not argue, did not cry out. Therefore, you too remain silent and calm.
Council of the Twelve Apostles; Byzantium, Constantinople; XIV century; Location: Russia. Moscow. State Museum of Art History named after. A.S. Pushkin
7. How did the Apostle Andrew die?
The angry Egeat ordered Saint Andrew to be crucified on the cross, tying his hands and feet, so that the apostle would not die immediately, but would suffer for a long time. An oblique cross in the shape of the letter X was chosen for the execution (which is why such a cross is now called St. Andrew's). About 20 thousand gathered in the square, people exclaimed: “The holy man is suffering unjustly!” Saint Andrew continued to preach from the cross. He taught that temporary torment must be endured. “After all, no torment is worth anything in comparison with the reward that comes with it!”
On the second day, the people surrounded the house of Egeat and demanded that the apostle be taken down from the cross. “A holy, honest, meek and wise man should not suffer like this!” Egeat was afraid of the popular unrest. And he immediately went after them to free Andrei. - Lord, do not let me be taken down from the cross! – Andrey exclaimed, “receive my spirit in peace!” Many people tried to untie him from the cross, but could not. Their hands became dead. Then a bright light shone. So it was impossible to watch. This heavenly light shone for half an hour, and then, when it dissipated, the apostle gave up the ghost.
On the site of the crucifixion of the holy apostle in Patras, the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, the largest in Greece, was erected. It contains the cross on which the holy apostle was crucified.
Prayer to the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
First-called Apostle of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, supreme follower of the Church, all-validated Andrew, we glorify and magnify your apostolic works, we sweetly remember your blessed coming to us, we bless your honorable suffering, which you endured for Christ, we kiss your sacred relics, we honor your holy memory and we believe that the Lord lives, and your soul is alive and dwells with Him forever in Heaven, where you love us with the same love with which you loved us, when through the Holy Spirit you saw our turn to Christ, and not just loved, but and pray to God for us, all our needs are in vain in His Light. This is how we believe and this is how we confess our faith in the temple, which was gloriously created in your name, Saint Andrew, where your holy relics rest; Believers, we ask and pray to the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that through your prayers, who always listens and accepts, will give us everything we need for the salvation of us sinners; Yes, just like you, according to the voice of the Lord, leave your surroundings, you unswervingly followed him, and let everyone from us seek not his own, but let him think about the creation of his neighbor and about the heavenly calling. Having you as an intercessor and prayer book for us, we trust that my prayer can accomplish much before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
For the first time, a yacht circled the Earth in the meridian direction, for the first time traveled along the Northern Sea Route, for the first time crossed both polar circles during a circumnavigation and for the first time followed a route laid across all four oceans. All these and many other feats were accomplished under the leadership of the constant captain Nikolai Litau, who himself conceived the design of the vessel and personally supervised the process of its construction.
The beginning of the journey - the birth of a legend
Captain Litau conceived the construction of not a simple, but the most durable vessel. He needed a yacht that could, in conditions of severe cold and high dampness, navigate the Northern Sea Route, overcoming obstacles such as.
For this purpose, a unique design was developed and its body was made of steel, which was supposed to provide high endurance and resistance to the most adverse environmental influences.
The ship was laid down in Tver, its construction lasted three whole years and was completed in 1996. The construction process of the yacht was delayed due to constant technical problems and interruptions in financing. When the sailboat was finally launched in St. Petersburg, another difficulty arose - during construction, its future team was unable to find a suitable name for the fearless conqueror of the oceans.
For help in resolving this issue, it was decided to turn to Patriarch Alexy II, who blessed and consecrated the ship, and then named it after the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the patron saint of all sailors on the planet and the Russian fleet in particular.
Vessel structure
"Apostle Andrey" is an ocean-going yacht and is intended for sailing in cold weather. Its length is 16.2 meters and its width is 4.8 meters. The vessel's displacement is 25 tons, and its draft is 2.7 meters. The sailboat's steel hull is equipped with special faceted contours, and reinforced plating ensures its rigidity and high strength.
The yacht has two masts that carry 130 sq.m of sails. The vessel is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 12 knots under its sails, in addition, it has an engine with a power of 85 horsepower.
The sailboat was equipped with modern navigation aids, as well as everything that is required for full functioning on board a crew of 8 people. The creators of the ocean-going yacht did everything to ensure that it could adequately withstand the longest and most dangerous periods.
Achievements and records
Three months after launching, “Apostle Andrey” set off on its first big voyage, which ended in 1999. It was this, during which the ship navigated the incredibly difficult Northern Sea Route, that was recognized by the British Royal Cruising Club as the greatest achievement in the world. The entire crew of the sailing ship was awarded an honorary medal with the eloquent title “for the art of navigation.”
After another three years of wandering across the seas and oceans, the crew of the yacht was awarded the Blue Water Cruising Club medal. The most interesting thing is that the crew of the “Apostle Andrew” received this distinction for their first voyage, and became the owner of two prestigious awards at once for one unique feat - an unprecedented case in the history of navigation.
In 2003, Captain Litau deservedly became a Knight of the Order of Courage, and his assistants were awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Honor. All other members of the “Apostle Andrew” team were awarded medals “For Services to the Fatherland.” The second, no less dangerous and exciting voyage of the sailing ship began in 2001. The crew of the ship went around the world and visited all four oceans, reached Kamchatka and made the longest and most dangerous journey from the Bellingshausen Sea, which washes Antarctica, to the Bering Sea.
Each such voyage caused numerous breakdowns, which often had to be repaired in extreme conditions. On the other hand, severe testing and constant improvements in design have made the vessel more durable and adaptable to difficulties. The sailboat's third circumnavigation of the world, which took place along the 60th parallel, began in 2004. Once again, “Apostle Andrew” passed the difficult test with honor and returned in triumph to his native harbor.
Sea adventures and challenges
The crew members of the yacht had to go through many serious tests during all three voyages around the world. They regularly had to become hostage to harsh polar conditions. For example, during the very first navigation, the sailing ship was forced to stand on Cape Schmidt for five whole weeks due to the fact that it was covered in ice on all sides.
The ship was able to free itself from captivity only with the arrival of a powerful cyclone, which brought with it a stormy southern wind. Ice blocks broke away from the shores and went deep into the ocean, forming a narrow polynya along which the Apostle Andrew continued his journey to the north.
Many times the yacht was at great risk of being crushed by huge ice floes, but the crew did not give up and raised the sails at the slightest breeze in order to get a little closer to their goal.
As the team members themselves recalled, quite often they had to rely not only on their own experience and knowledge, but also on ordinary luck. Sometimes the ship literally broke through the ice, which appeared where it should not have been in accordance with all forecasts.
Such as "Apostle Andrew" continue their journey among the waves as long as their masts are able to carry sails. The crew members of this ship change periodically - there are only 20 people, although a maximum of 8 experienced “apostles” take part in each voyage.
Over the years, this amazing sailboat only becomes more resilient, maneuverable and fast. The ocean yacht and its glorious crew still have many records, achievements, discoveries and severe tests ahead of them, which only real heroes can withstand.
This book tells about the twelve apostles and the holy Apostle Paul - the closest disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book consists of several sections, each of which contains a biography of the apostle, a short story about the relics and veneration, as well as the iconography of the holy apostles. In addition, the collection includes three appendices. The publication is intended for a wide range of Orthodox readers.
Apostle Andrew the First-Called
Before calling
The Apostle Andrew was a native of the Galilean city of Bethsaida. He came from a family of fishermen - his father's name was Jonah, and his brother's name was Simon. Having married, Simon moved to his wife's family in Capernaum. Some time later, Andrei moved in with him. Together with his brother, Andrei was engaged in his hereditary craft - fishing.
Not burdened with a family, unlike his brother, Andrei, having heard the preaching of John the Baptist, leaves Capernaum and becomes a disciple of John. Here he became close to John of Zebedee, also a disciple of the Baptist. They were both standing on the banks of the Jordan and talking with their mentor when he pointed out to them the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, saying: here is the Lamb of God(John 1:36). According to the word of the Forerunner, Andrew and John went after the Lord Jesus.
And soon Andrei was visited by his brother Simon, and Andrei told him about Christ. Here's how the Gospel says it: One of the two who heard from John about Jesus and followed Him was Andrew, Simon's brother. He first finds his brother Simon and says to him: we have found the Messiah, which means: Christ; and brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of Jonah; you will be called Cephas, which means: stone (Peter)(John 1:40–42).
After this, the brothers follow Christ back to Galilee.
Following Christ
Returning to Galilee, Andrei again settles in his brother’s house and helps him with fishing. One day, when the brothers were busy with their craft, the Lord Jesus called to them: Passing near the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets and followed Him(Mark 1:16–18).
Later in the New Testament, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called is reported sporadically. However, it is known for sure that with the election of the twelve, Andrei becomes one of the Savior’s closest disciples. In the apostolic lists he is usually mentioned either second, after Peter, or fourth, after James and John of Zebedee.
According to the assumptions of some researchers, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called occupied a special place in the community - he acts as a mediator between the people and Christ; This is evidenced by the gospel episodes with his participation.
Thus, during the preaching of Christ in the vicinity of Tiberias, when the Savior asked the apostles where to get bread for the multitude of listeners, then: One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to Him: here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what is this for such a multitude?(John 6:8–9). According to the Gospel of John, the answer of the Apostle Andrew was evidence of his faith, although from the answer itself it is clear that the apostle still doubted whether it was possible to feed a multitude of people with such a small amount of food. But the Lord Jesus works a miracle, multiplying the loaves and fish so much that after the people were fed, the apostles collected what was left in several boxes.
Another time, already during Holy Week, when the Greeks turned to the Apostle Philip, wanting to talk with the Savior, he: goes and tells Andrey about it; and then Andrew and Philip tell Jesus about it(John 12:22).
Biblical scholars suggest that despite the fact that this is not mentioned in the Gospel, the Savior’s meeting with the Greek quasi-proselytes, thanks to the Apostle Andrew, did take place.
In the Gospel narrative of the events of Holy Week, Apostle Andrew is mentioned one more time. When the Lord Jesus predicts that the temple will not be left one stone upon another, the Apostle Andrew, together with the Savior’s closest disciples, asks Him about when what He predicted will come true. But the Lord Jesus in response only calls the apostles to spiritual sobriety.
Among the twelve disciples, Apostle Andrew the First-Called was present at the Last Supper and at the appearance of Christ to the apostles after the Resurrection.
From the Ascension of the Savior to independent preaching
There is very little reliable information about what Apostle Andrew did after the Ascension of the Savior and before the start of his missionary travels. It is known for sure from the Acts that the Apostle Andrew, together with his fellow apostles, participated in the election of Matthias to the place of the fallen Judas Iscariot.
Regarding the next few years, there are only versions that relate in different ways to the line from Acts regarding the twelve apostles being almost constantly in Jerusalem. Therefore, according to one version, the Apostle Andrew, although not directly mentioned, remains in Jerusalem, collaborating with Peter and John, who became the first leaders of the Jerusalem community. According to another version, the Apostle Andrew, before starting his independent preaching, went to his native Galilee, where he combined preaching with fishing. However, neither one nor the other version has any documentary evidence.
When the Jerusalem community strengthened, having survived Stephen's persecution, the apostles decided that it was time for them to go beyond their usual area and preach throughout the entire universe. In order to decide who should preach where, they cast lots - according to the lot, Apostle Andrew the First-Called got the Black Sea coast. That's where he headed.
Missionary travel
Regarding the further life of the Apostle Andrew, several versions already existed in ancient times.
According to the first version, the apostle began preaching the Gospel on the southern shore of the Black Sea, moving through Pontus and Bithynia to the west. Apostle Andrew’s colleague in preaching at that time was his brother, the Apostle Peter. Then he independently visits Amasia, Sinope, Nicaea and Nicomedia. From there, the Apostle Andrew crossed to Byzantium (the future Constantinople) and ended up in Thrace, and from there to Macedonia, where he visited the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica. He then went to Achaia, where he visited the cities of Patras, Corinth and Megara. Throughout the journey, the apostle performed numerous miracles and healings.
According to the second version, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called preached in Scythia and other barbarian lands, which later ended up on the territory of Russia. This version is very popular in the Russian Church.
The third version says that the Apostle Andrew the First-Called made three missionary journeys from Jerusalem along the shores of the Black Sea from south to east and north. During his first trip, he and Peter visited Antioch, Tiana, Ancyra, Sinope, where he freed the Apostle Matthias from prison.
Then the Apostle Peter went to preach in the western lands, and the Apostle Andrew moved east. In Amis, he, together with the Apostle Matthias, preached in the synagogue, which he consecrated as a Christian temple in the name of the Mother of God. Then he went to Trebizond, and from Trebizond the Apostle Andrew came to Iberia. According to local legend, in Iveria he crushed idols, raised the son of the widow of the local ruler Samdzivari from the dead, after which the widow herself and the entire Samtskhi people converted to Christianity. He also performed many other miracles in Iberia and built Christian churches. Then, through Parthia, the Apostle Andrew returned to Jerusalem.
On his next journey, the Apostle from Antioch went to Ephesus together with the Apostle John the Theologian - they were very friendly and some sources call the Apostle Andrew one of the inspirations for writing the Fourth Gospel. From Ephesus, after the appearance of Christ, the Apostle Andrew headed to Phrygia and Nicaea, where he cast out demons, killed a dragon, pacified robbers and crushed idols.
Two years later, the Apostle Andrew visited Nicomedia, Iraklia Pontic, Amastris and Sinope. In Sinope, local residents, for the previous deliverance of Matthias, threw him to the ground and, taking him by the arms and legs, dragged him, beat him with logs, threw stones at him, pulled out his fingers and teeth; but he, by the grace of his Savior and Teacher, again turned out to be healthy and whole from his wounds. From there he went to Amis, Trebizond and Samosata, where he debated with Greek philosophers.
In the last, third, journey, the Apostle Andrew and his companions passed through Edessa, where he left the Apostle Thaddeus, to Iberia and Susania (Svaneti). Leaving Apostle Matthias there, he moved to Alania and Abazgia, where he parted with his other companion, Apostle Simon the Canaanite. Passing through Zichia, the Apostle Andrew barely escaped death; he arrived in the Bosporus, whose inhabitants eagerly listened to his sermons, and then in Feodosia and Chersonesus, which persisted in paganism. From there he crossed back to Sinope, where he installed Philologus as bishop, and from there, through Chalcedon, where Tychicus was installed as bishop, he arrived in Byzantium. Having made Stachios bishop of Argyropolis and founded the temple of the Mother of God on the acropolis, Apostle Andrew the First-Called headed through Iraklia of Thracia and Macedonia to Patras.
The official life of the Apostle Andrew unites all these versions, claiming that he visited all the places mentioned, somewhere founding new Christian communities, somewhere visiting and strengthening already established ones.
Martyrdom
The Apostle Andrew the First-Called came to the city of Patras, in the province of Achaia (Greece). There he stayed in the house of a certain Sosius, who suffered from a serious illness. The apostle healed him. This miracle amazed all Sosius’ neighbors and they began to gather to listen to the apostle’s sermon. Soon the whole city knew about the Christian preacher. The preaching of the Apostle Andrew was a great success - the Christian community grew before our eyes.
The wife of the ruler - Antipat Egeat - Maximilla - and his brother - Stratocles - turned to the apostle for help. The Apostle Andrew healed them; after that they turned to Christ and were baptized.
Antipat was not happy with this state of affairs - he began persecuting Christians, forcing them to make sacrifices to pagan idols. Apostle Andrew, deciding to protect the community, met with the ruler. The Apostle said:
- You, judge of people, should know your Judge who is in heaven, and, having known him, worship Him; Having worshiped the true God, one should turn away from false gods.
Egeates answered him:
– Are you the same Andrei who destroys the temples of the gods and persuades people to that recently appeared magical faith, which the Roman kings ordered to destroy?
Apostle Andrew answered:
– The Roman kings did not know that the Son of God, having descended to earth for the salvation of the human race, clearly showed that these idols are not only not gods, but are unclean demons, hostile to the human race, who teach people to anger God and turn Him away from themselves so that He would not hear them. When God, angry, turns away from people, then the demons captivate them into enslavement and deceive them until their souls leave their bodies naked, having nothing else with them except their sins.
Egeat said:
– When your Jesus preached these womanish and empty words, the Jews nailed Him to the cross.
Andrey replied:
– Oh, if you wanted to know the mystery of the cross: how the Creator of the human race, out of His love for us, voluntarily endured suffering on the cross, because He knew about the time of His suffering, and prophesied about His three-day resurrection, and, sitting with us At the last supper, he announced His betrayer, speaking of the future as if it were the past, and voluntarily went to the place where he was about to be delivered into the hands of the Jews.
“I am surprised at you,” objected Egeat, “that you, being a wise man, will follow the One whom you confess crucified on the cross - no matter how: voluntarily or involuntarily.”
The Apostle answered:
“Great is the mystery of the cross,” and if you want to hear, I will tell you.
“This is not a sacrament, but the execution of evildoers,” Egeates objected.
Andrey replied:
“This execution is the secret of human renewal, just be kind enough to listen to me patiently.”
“I will listen to you patiently,” said the judge, “but if you do not do what I command, you will bear the same mystery of the cross.”
The apostle answered this:
– If I were afraid of execution on the cross, I would never glorify the cross.
Egeat said:
- Just as you praise the cross out of your madness, so you are not afraid of death - out of insolence.
The Apostle answered:
“I am not afraid of death, not out of insolence, but out of faith, for the death of the saints is honorable, but for sinners death is cruel.” I want you to listen to what I have to say about the mystery of the cross, and... having known the truth, he believed; Having believed, he found his soul.
Eeeat said:
– They find what was lost. Has my soul really perished, that you order me to find it through faith, I don’t know what kind?
Andrey replied:
“This is something you could learn from me; I will show you what the destruction of human souls is, so that you can know their salvation, accomplished through the cross. The first man introduced death through the tree of crime, and it was necessary for the human race that death be destroyed through the tree of suffering. And just as the first man, who introduced death through the tree of transgression, was created from pure soil, so it was fitting that from the pure Virgin Christ should be born, the perfect man, who is also the Son of God, who created the first man, so that He would restore again eternal life, lost by all people: and just as the first man sinned by stretching out his hands to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so for the salvation of people it was necessary for the Son of God to stretch out His hands on the cross for the intemperance of human hands and for the sweet food from the forbidden tree to taste bitter gall.
Egeates said to this:
- Speak these speeches to those who will listen to you. If you do not obey my command and if you do not want to make sacrifices to the gods, then, after beating you with sticks, I will crucify you on the cross that you glorify.
Andrey replied:
– Every day I offer to the one, true and omnipotent God not the smoke of incense, not the meat of oxen, not the blood of goats, but the immaculate Lamb sacrificed on the altar of the cross. All believing people partake of His most pure Body and taste His Blood, but this Lamb remains whole and alive, although it is truly slain; truly they all eat His flesh and drink His blood, - however, as I say, He always remains whole, immaculate and alive.
Egeat said:
- How can it be?
Andrey replied:
– If you want to know, be a student so that you can learn what you are asking about.
Egeat said:
“I will torture this teaching out of you.”
The Apostle answered:
“I am surprised that you, being a wise man, speak as if you are senseless, for can you learn from me the secrets of God, experiencing through torment?” You have heard about the sacrament of the cross, you have also heard about the sacrament of sacrifice. If you believe that Christ, the Son of God, crucified by the Jews, is the true God, then I will reveal to you how He lives, being killed, and how, being sacrificed and eaten, He remains whole in His Kingdom.
Egeat said:
- If He was killed and, as you say, eaten by people, then how can He be alive and whole?
“If you believe with all your heart,” answered the apostle, “then you can understand this mystery; if you do not believe, you will never comprehend this mystery.
After this, Egeat ordered the apostle to be arrested and thrown into prison. The Christians, wanting to free their mentor, were ready to storm the prison, but the apostle addressed them from behind bars, saying:
– Do not turn the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into a diabolical rebellion; for our Lord, being betrayed to death, showed all patience, did not contradict, did not cry out, and His voice was not heard in the streets; Therefore, you too remain silent and be calm. Not only do not interfere with my martyrdom, but yourself, as good ascetics and warriors of Christ, prepare to patiently endure on your body all kinds of tortures and wounds. If you need to be afraid of torments, then only those that have no end, while human intimidation and threats are like smoke - having appeared, they suddenly disappear. And if you are afraid of suffering, then you should be afraid of those that begin in order to never have an end. Temporary suffering, if it is insignificant, is easily tolerated; if they are great, then soon, having removed the soul from the body, they themselves will end. But cruel are those sufferings that are eternal. Therefore, be prepared to move through temporary sorrows to eternal joy, where you will rejoice, always prosper, and always reign with Christ.
The apostle preached all night. And the next morning they came for him by order of the ruler and took him to court. Egeates, turning to the apostle, said:
– Have you decided to leave madness and not preach Christ so that you can have fun with us in this life, for great madness is to voluntarily go to torment and fire?
The Apostle answered:
“I will be able to have fun with you when you believe in Christ and reject idols, for Christ sent me to this country, in which I gained many people for Him.”
Egeat said:
“I force you to make sacrifices so that those deceived by you will leave the vanity of your teaching and make sacrifices pleasing to the gods, for there is no city in Achaia in which the temples of the gods are not empty; Therefore, now it is necessary that through you their honor be restored, so that those who are angry with you are begged by you, so that you yourself may remain with us in friendly love. If not, then for their dishonor you will accept various torments and will be hanged on the cross that you glorify.
Andrey responded to this:
- Listen, son of death, doomed to eternal torment, listen to me, the servant of the Lord and the apostle of Jesus Christ! Until now, I have talked to you meekly, wanting to teach you the holy faith, so that you, as someone who has reason, would know the truth and, rejecting idols, worship the God who lives in heaven. But since you remain in your shamelessness and think that I am afraid of your torment, then invent against me the most severe torments that you know, for the more severe I will be to my King, the more severe the torments I endure for Him.
After this, the ruler ordered the scourging of the Apostle Andrew. The executioners changed three times, and only after that the apostle was again brought to the ruler. Egeates said to him:
“Listen to me, Andrei, and do not shed your blood in vain, for if you do not listen to me, I will crucify you on the cross.”
Andrey replied:
“I am a slave of the cross of Christ and I wish to die on the cross.” You can avoid eternal torment if, having tested my patience, you believe in Christ, for I grieve over your death more than about my suffering: my suffering will end in one, or even in two days, but your torment will not end even after a thousand years. will have an end; therefore, do not increase your torment and do not light an eternal fire for yourself.
Then Egeat ordered the Apostle Andrew to be crucified on an X-shaped cross. Moreover, the apostle was not nailed, but tied to the cross, since the ruler wanted to prolong his torment.
As the servants led the apostle to the crucifixion, the people gathered, exclaiming:
– What did the righteous man and friend of God sin in, why is he being led to crucifixion?
The crowd was ready to revolt, but Andrei begged the people not to start a riot, since the apostle himself wanted to suffer and unite with Christ. Arriving at the place of execution, the Apostle Andrew joyfully went to the cross. Having been crucified, the apostle continued to teach the people without ceasing. Among the Christians gathered for execution was the ruler’s brother Stratokli, who exclaimed along with the people:
“It’s unfair for a holy man to suffer like this.”
This went on for more than two days. In the end, the people were still indignant and, coming to the ruler’s house, demanded the release of the apostle. In order to prevent a greater rebellion, Egeat was ready to release the apostle. He himself went to the place of execution.
Andrew, seeing Egeat, said:
- Why did you come, Egeat? If you want to believe in Christ, then, as I promised, the door of grace will open to you. If you came only to take me down from the cross, then I do not want, while I am alive, to be taken down from the cross, for I already see my King, I already worship Him, I already stand before Him, but I suffer for you, because Eternal destruction awaits you. Take care of yourself while you can, so that you don’t want to start when you are no longer able to.
Indeed, the ruler’s servants were unable to remove the Apostle Andrew from the cross. Then the apostle exclaimed:
- Lord Jesus Christ! Do not allow me to be taken down from the cross on which I am hanged for Your name, but accept me, my Teacher, Whom I have loved, Whom I have come to know, Whom I confess, Whom I desire to see, through Whom I have become what I am! Lord Jesus Christ, accept my spirit in peace, for it is time for me to come to You and see You, whom I so greatly desire! Accept me, good Teacher, and no sooner command me to be taken down from the cross than you accept my spirit!
After this, a heavenly light shone upon Apostle Andrew and after some time he departed to the Lord.
The ruler's wife, Maximilla, removed the apostle's body and buried him. Her husband soon became possessed and died. Egeat's brother, Stratocles, buried him and renounced the inheritance, not wanting to be defiled by his sin - the murder of the apostle.
Relics and veneration
The veneration of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called is widespread throughout the Christian world. However, in some countries he enjoys special reverence. In Georgia, Apostle Andrew is revered as one of the enlighteners of this country. Scotland considers him its patron saint. Apostle Andrew enjoys great veneration in Russia, since, according to legend, during his lifetime he visited the borders of our country and even preached here.
The relics of the apostle were initially located at the site of his martyrdom - in Patras (Greece).
In 357, on behalf of Emperor Constantius II, they (except for the honorable head) were transferred by the military leader, Great Martyr Artemius, to Constantinople and placed in the foundation of the Church of the Holy Apostles. In the 6th century, under Emperor Justinian I, the relics of the apostles Andrew the First-Called, Luke and Timothy, discovered during the dismantling of the dilapidated temple, were solemnly transferred to the new Church of the Holy Apostles and buried under the altar. After the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders, Cardinal Peter of Capua took the relics of the Apostle Andrew to Italy to the city of Amalfi, where they remain to this day.
The venerable head and cross of the Apostle Andrew remained in Patras for many centuries. In 1462, the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos took the head and cross of the apostle from Patras, saving them from the Turks, and handed them over to Pope Pius II for safekeeping, who placed them in St. Peter's Basilica. Part of the chapter was placed along with the relics of the apostle in Amalfi. In 1964, Pope Paul VI decided to transfer the head of the Apostle Andrew and parts of the St. Andrew's cross to the Greek Orthodox Church, and these relics were solemnly transferred to Patras.
In 1974, the construction of the cathedral in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called, the largest in the Balkans, which lasted more than sixty years, was completed here. In the right aisle of the temple, on the throne, the venerable head of the apostle rests under a white marble canopy in a silver ark. Behind the throne is a large St. Andrew's cross-reliquary, storing parts of the cross on which the apostle was crucified.
During the Napoleonic wars, French soldiers tried to destroy this shrine, which was then located in one of the monasteries near Naples, by setting it on fire; one of the monks covered the cross with his body and saved the shrine at the cost of his life.
Also, particles of the relics of the apostle are found in some Athonite monasteries - in the Great Lavra of Athanasius the hand of the apostle is kept, in St. Andrew's Skete - particles of the head, in the Panteleimon Monastery - a foot.
In 1644, the monks of the monastery of St. Anastasia the Pattern Maker near Thessalonica presented Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich with the right hand of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, which was placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Currently, this shrine is kept in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. By this time, Moscow already had parts of the relics, for which in 1603–1604, on the instructions of Boris Godunov, a silver reliquary ark was made and placed in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Iconography
The Apostle Andrew is represented in many gospel stories and the Acts of the Apostles. His earliest images are preserved on a fresco from the catacomb in Karmuz (Egypt, IV-VI centuries). In Byzantine hagiographic literature there are references to miraculous images of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
Already in the early monuments, the appearance of the Apostle Andrew has pronounced individual characteristics: gray tousled hair and a short thick beard; like the other apostles, he is dressed in a tunic with claves and himation. He was not small in build, but tall, long-nosed, broad-browed, and slightly hunched over.
Along with the images of the supreme apostles, the image of the Apostle Andrew was often included in the high iconostasis, where it was usually placed opposite the Apostle John the Theologian.
Fishing requires diligence, patience and... humility. If there is no result today, then who is to blame? We must come tomorrow, calmly and confidently move towards our goal. Fishermen casting nets made up the majority of those whom Christ called to follow Him to spread the Good News throughout the world. The Teacher called the Galilean fisherman Andrew first.
Waters of Scripture
The biblical story is full of water. The very second verse of Genesis reads: “The Spirit of God hovered over the waters.” Later there were flood waters that covered the entire earth. The waters of the sea parted before Moses and swallowed up the Egyptians. The long-awaited rain through the prayers of the prophet Elijah. The geography and symbolism of the New Testament is largely built around water. In the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of a dove. Most of the 12 apostles were fishermen. The Lord walked across the waters of a raging lake to His disciples. And Christ’s words about water that can quench thirst forever, which changed the life of a simple Samaritan woman, are called upon to change the life of each of us.
Sea of Kinneref (Num. 34: 11; Deut. 3: 17) or Hinnaroth (Joshua 11: 2), Hinneref (Joshua 12: 3; 13: 27) or Sea of Tiberias (John 21: 1), Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5: 1) - this is Lake Kinneret today. But for us its most familiar name is the Sea of Galilee. It serves as a flowing basin for the Jordan River on its way to the Dead Sea. The ancients believed that the Jordan cut the lake in half and passed through without mixing with its waters. From a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Christ preached to the people gathered on the shore, on it he tamed a sudden storm, walked on its waters (see: Matt. 4: 13–17; 8: 24–26; Mark 4: 37–41; Luke 8: 23–25, etc.). The dimensions of the lake are small: only about 20 km long and 13 km wide. Therefore, it was called the sea solely due to its historical significance.
The Lord chose for Himself very “unexpected”, according to our – human – understanding, disciples – fishermen
During Christ's earthly life, this was the industrial center of Palestine; the shores of the lake were built up with cities, and the waters were filled with numerous ships: Roman warships, gilded galleys from Herod’s palace, boats of Bethsaida fishermen... The lake was famous for its abundance of fish, so many local residents were engaged in fishing. Their already difficult work was further complicated by the climatic features of the area: in the summer, in the lowland where the lake was located (and its coast is one of the lowest land areas on Earth), there was unbearable, suffocating heat, and in the winter there were fierce storms, threatening the death of fishermen .
"Fishers of Men"
On the shores of the Sea of Galilee and in coastal cities, Jesus Christ spent most of His earthly ministry. The Sea of Galilee is mentioned in all four Gospels.
“And as He passed near the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishermen, and He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4: 18–20).
Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirović) reflects on why the Lord called fishermen in particular: “If Christ had acted humanly, He would have chosen not twelve fishermen as apostles, but twelve kings of the earth. If only He would immediately see the success of His work and reap the fruits of His labors, He could, by His irresistible power, baptize the twelve most powerful kings on earth and make them His followers and apostles. Just imagine how the name of Christ would instantly be published throughout the world!” But the Lord chose for Himself very “unexpected”, according to our – human – understanding, disciples. Fishermen were among the poorest and most uneducated people. Daily hard work did not bring excess, but provided only what was necessary. All they had were nets and boats, which were constantly in need of repair.
“They are used to not leading and ordering, but working and obeying. They are not proud of anything, their hearts are full of humility before the will of God. But, although they are simple fishermen, their souls thirst for as much truth and righteousness as possible,” wrote St. Nicholas of Serbia.
And who, if not they, understood most of all the words of Christ about a net thrown into the sea: “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea and capturing fish of every kind, which, when it was full, they pulled ashore and, sitting down, gathered the good things into vessels, but they threw away the bad” (Matthew 13: 47–48).
“How wise it is that He began the building of His Kingdom not with kings, but with fishermen! It is good and saving for us, living two thousand years after His work on earth, that during His earthly life He did not reap the fruits of His labor! He did not want, like a giant, to immediately transplant a huge tree into the ground, but he wanted, like a simple farmer, to bury the seed of the tree in the underground darkness and go home. So He did. Not only into the darkness of simple Galilean fishermen, but into the darkness all the way to Adam, the Lord buried the seed of the Tree of Life and left” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).
The tree grew slowly. Often Christ was faced with misunderstanding not only from “external” people, but also from his closest disciples. Remember their dispute about who will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven (see: Mark 10: 35–45). Or the words of Christ addressed to the apostles: “How is it that you do not understand?” (Mark 8:21) and “Are you really so slow-witted?” (Mark 7:18). But having heard the call of Christ, Andrew and Peter immediately, without hesitation, left their nets and followed Him. The hearts of the two brothers were already so determined in the choice of good that they, like children, innocently and trustingly followed the Teacher, as if all their lives they had only been waiting for this call: “I will make you fishers of men.”
“The Lord knows their hearts: like children, these fishermen believe in God and submit to the laws of God” (St. Nicholas of Serbia).
"Persecuted, but not abandoned"
St. John Chrysostom in his “Eulogy to the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called” said: “The now remembered Andrew, when he found the Lord of all as some treasure of light, exclaimed, turning to his brother Peter: “We have found the Messiah.” Oh, the superiority of brotherly love! O counter-reversal of order! Andrew, after Peter, was born into life and was the first to bring Peter to the Gospel - and how he caught it: “We have found,” he said, “the Messiah.” This was said out of joy; it was the gospel of the found object combined with joy.”
Very little information about the Apostle Andrew can be gleaned from the Gospel: it is known that it was he who pointed out to Christ a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, which were then miraculously multiplied to feed the listeners of the new teaching. He and Philip also brought some Greeks to Christ, and together with three chosen disciples of Christ - Peter, James and John - he took part in the Savior’s conversation on the Mount of Olives about the coming end of the world (see: Mark 13: 3). Andrew the First-Called, among the 12 apostles, was present at the Last Supper and at the appearance of Christ to the disciples after the Resurrection, as well as at the Ascension of the Savior (see: Acts 1: 13). He, along with everyone else, participated in the choice of the twelfth apostle instead of Judas Iscariot and was present at the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost (see: Acts 2: 1).
According to ancient Christian tradition, after Pentecost the apostles cast lots, in accordance with which they went to preach the Gospel to different countries. Apostle Andrew inherited the vast lands of Bithynia and Propontis, Thrace and Macedonia, stretching to the Black Sea and the Danube, Scythia and Thessaly, Hellas and Achaia.
How far to the north did the Apostle Andrew go in his wanderings, bringing the gospel message to the pagans?
The first field of his apostolic ministry was the coast of the Pontus Euxine (“Hospitable Sea”), that is, the Black Sea. It is almost impossible to say exactly how far to the north the Apostle Andrew went in his wanderings, bringing the gospel message to the pagans. Origen, who lived in the first half of the 3rd century, clearly stated that Scythia was part of the apostolic inheritance of St. Andrew. The entire subsequent Byzantine tradition (from the “Ecclesiastical History” of Eusebius of Caesarea up to the Mesyatsoslov Basil II) also shared this opinion. “Scythia” was the name given to the lands north of the northern coasts of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas, that is, this is the territory of modern Crimea, Ukraine, the Black Sea coast of Russia - Kuban, Rostov region, Kalmykia, partly the lands of the Caucasus and Kazakhstan.
There is another, ancient Christian tradition, which differently outlines the territory of the apostolic ministry of Andrew the First-Called. According to the text of the apocryphal “Acts of Andrew,” dating back to the 2nd century and restored on the basis of the “Book of Miracles” by Gregory of Tours, the apostle began preaching the Gospel on the southern shore of the Black Sea, moving through Pontus and Bithynia to the west. According to this tradition, Andrew the First-Called visited Amasia, Sinope, Nicaea and Nicomedia, crossed over to Byzantium (the future Constantinople) and ended up in Thrace, and from there to Macedonia, where he visited the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica. He then went to Achaia, where he visited the cities of Patras, Corinth and Megara.
Almost everywhere, the Apostle Andrew was persecuted by the pagans, endured sorrows and suffering. This fate befell each of the twelve. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians: “We are oppressed on every side, but not oppressed; we are in desperate circumstances, but we do not despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are cast down, but we do not perish. We always bear in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Cor. 4:8-10).
The First-Called Apostle endured all the disasters “with delight,” working for the glory of Christ: “You, apostle, brought the tribes of men, even those who did not know the True God, to the quiet refuge of Christ, and those hearts, like a fragile boat overwhelmed by unbelief, were established on the anchors of the Orthodox faith Thou art” and “with the inspired word, as if in a dream, thou didst catch men unto Christ.”
The apostolic ministry of Andrew the First-Called was accompanied by numerous miracles, healings and resurrections from the dead.
Not one of the 12 apostles is so noticeably present in the history of Russia throughout its entire length as the Apostle Andrei
In the city of Patras on the Peloponnese peninsula, the Apostle Andrew converted the wife of the proconsul Aegeates Maximilla and his brother to Christianity, gathering around him a large Christian community. Here, in the city of Patras, the apostle suffered martyrdom. Seeing the instrument of his execution, the First-Called Apostle, according to his life, exclaimed: “O cross, consecrated by my Lord and Master, I greet you, image of horror! You, after He died on you, became a sign of joy and love!” A cross in the shape of the letter X was chosen for execution, which is now called St. Andrew's.
According to legend, the ruler of Aegeates, in order to prolong the torment of the apostle, ordered not to nail him to the cross, but to tie him by his arms and legs. When the apostle had been on the cross in torment for two days, preaching tirelessly, unrest began among the people listening to him. People demanded to have mercy on the apostle and remove him from the cross. The ruler, fearing unrest, decided to comply with the demands. But Andrew the First-Called’s determination to accept martyrdom was unshakable. Life reports that when the holy apostle died, the cross was illuminated with a bright radiance.
Today, at the site of the crucifixion of the First-Called Apostle, next to the spring that gushed after his death, stands the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, the largest Orthodox church in Greece.
"Russian Apostle"
The earthly journey of the Apostle Andrew ended around the 70s of the 1st century. But the seed of the Tree of Life continued to grow. Nine centuries later, it sprouted on the banks of the Dnieper. “The Word about the manifestation of Baptism in the Russian land of the Holy Apostle Andrew, how he came to Rus',” included in the “Tale of Bygone Years,” tells that the Apostle Andrew climbed up the Dnieper and illuminated the place on which the city of Kyiv was later built, and even (which, however, is questioned even more) reached the Novgorod land.
“And the Dnieper will flow into the Poneta Sea like a zhelol; “The hedgehog of the Russian sea speaks, as Saint Ondrei, brother Petrov, taught.”
Pointing to the place where Kyiv would later be founded, the Apostle Andrew, according to legend, said: “Do you see these mountains? As if the grace of God will shine on these mountains, there will be a great city and God will raise many churches.”
Peter the Great laid an ark with a particle of the relics of the Apostle Andrew at the foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress
According to the chronicle legend, the apostle climbed these mountains, blessed them and planted a cross. According to legend, in the 13th century a church was built on this site in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. And in 1749–1754, by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, a temple was built in this legendary place in the name of the First-Called Apostle himself. The amazingly beautiful St. Andrew's Church invariably attracts all guests of Kyiv. It is located on the right bank of the Dnieper, above the historical part of the city - Podil, on Andreevsky Descent, connecting the upper city with the lower one.
It is impossible to prove or refute the legends about the “walk” of the Apostle Andrew across Russian lands. Many historians, both secular and ecclesiastical, are quite skeptical about them. So, A.V. Kartashev in “Essays on the History of the Russian Church” wrote: “Having no direct evidence to completely reject the tradition of St. Andrew, coming from such a deep antiquity, and interpreting it in a geographical sense so far in accordance with the prevailing opinion in science, we can, without the violence of a scientific conscience, admit that the First-Called Apostle, if he was not in the countries north of the Black Sea, could have been in Georgia and Abkhazia, and maybe in the Crimea...” But we can say one thing with certainty: the image of the First-Called Apostle, whether his feet set foot on the lands of our Fatherland or not, became the foundation on which Orthodox Rus' still stands.
We dare to say that not one of the 12 apostles is so noticeably present in the history of Russia throughout its entire length as the Apostle Andrew.
Already in the 11th century, the First-Called Apostle was deeply revered in Rus'. This is also confirmed by the fact that in 1030 the youngest son of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod Yaroslavich, was baptized with the name Andrei, and in 1086 he founded the Andreevsky (Yanchin) Monastery in Kyiv, which is the first convent of Rus' mentioned in chronicles.
The apostle was especially revered in the Novgorod land. At the end of the 11th century, the first temple in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called was built in Novgorod. The preface to the life of the Novgorod saint, St. Michael of Klopsky, compiled with the blessing of Archbishop Macarius in 1537, speaks of the rod of St. Andrew the First-Called: after the Baptism of Rus', “in the place where the holy Apostle planted his rod, a temple in the name of the holy Apostle Andrew was erected in It is a priceless and honest treasure - a multi-healing rod - that is placed in it, about which many and inscrutable miracles have been told, and to this day we see them all.”
In the second half of the 16th century, a “Tale briefly about the creation of the most honorable monastery of the divine Transfiguration of the Lord God our Savior Jesus Christ on Valaam and partly a story about the venerable saints, the father of the same monastery, the head of Sergius and Herman, and about the bringing of their holy relics” was compiled, which talks about the visit Apostle Andrew of Balaam.
The Kiev Council of 1621 even testified: “The Holy Apostle Andrew is the first Archbishop of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Russian Apostle, and his feet stood on the Kyiv mountains, and his eyes saw Russia and his lips favored.”
Apostle Andrew, brother of the Supreme Apostle Peter, the heavenly patron of St. Petersburg, is also the patron of this city: on the day of the founding of the northern capital - the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, May 16/27, 1703 - Peter the Great laid an ark with a particle of the relics of the Apostle Andrew at the foundation of the fortress.
The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called became the highest order of the state. This is the first and most famous Russian order. Until 1917, it was the highest award of the Russian Empire, and since 1998, the highest award of the Russian Federation. The order was established by Peter I in 1698 or 1699. According to the draft statute of the order, drawn up in 1720 by Peter I, it should be awarded “as reward and reward to some for loyalty, courage and various services rendered to us and the fatherland, and to others to encourage all noble and heroic virtues, for nothing encourages and does not inflame human curiosity and love of glory, like clear signs and visible reward for virtue.”
Most of the 12 apostles were fishermen. But it was the First-Called Apostle who became the patron of the Russian navy. Establishing the Russian Navy, Peter I chose the image of a blue oblique St. Andrew's Cross for his banner. He personally developed the flag project, and, according to legend, “Peter the Great, who fell asleep at night at his desk, was awakened by the morning sun, the rays of which, breaking through the frozen mica of the window, fell on a white sheet of paper in a bluish diagonal cross. The light of the sun and the color of the sea - that’s what St. Andrew’s flag symbolizes.”
In 1718, in the Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Kronstadt, the rite of consecration of the St. Andrew’s flag was performed for the first time, which began to flutter over the ship “St. Nicholas” and the frigate “Eagle”.
The flag with the St. Andrew's Cross flies today again, after decades of atheistic oppression, over Russian warships.
"Jesus Boat"
In the winter of 1986, after a long summer drought, the water level in Lake Galilee dropped sharply. The southeastern coast was exposed. Two young people - local fishermen - noticed in the silt things of clearly ancient origin - pieces of plank plating from a ship. At that moment, a double rainbow shone in the sky. The young men reported the discovery to archaeological services. Work began to remove the boat from the silt.
This artifact became known as the “Jesus boat”
The ship turned out to be quite large: its length is 8 meters and its width is 2.3 meters. This boat could accommodate 13 people. Research has shown that 12 types of wood were used during construction: cedar, pine, cypress, etc. It was made by ordinary people who used every board that was at their disposal.
Today, scientists are unanimous in determining the time of construction and wreck of the boat - the beginning of the 1st century AD. It was on these boats that the fishermen sailed, catching fish on Lake Galilee.
The found boat, a unique and only vessel of that era and culture, is kept in a special museum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The artifact began to be called the “Jesus boat.” Some – referring to her age. Others - suggesting its direct relationship to New Testament history.
The Savior's first miracle was the transformation of water into wine. The last miracle, which marked the end of Christ's earthly ministry, is also connected with water - blood and water poured out from His pierced side. John Chrysostom noted: “It was not without meaning and not by chance that these sources flowed out, but because the Church was made up of both. Those initiated into the mysteries know this: they are reborn by water, and are nourished by blood and flesh.” And Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria continued: “The blood shows that the Crucified One is a man, and the water that He is higher than man, namely, God.”
The Apostle John proclaimed: “And three bear witness on earth: the spirit, the water and the blood; and these three are about one” (1 John 5:8).
Let us prayerfully hope that the Lord, through the intercession of His First-Called Apostle, will not deprive us of a place in His boat and “the source of water flowing into eternal life.”
Mysteries of the murder of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called
Starting from this part, you and I, dear reader, will try to understand the very confusing, and above all Christian historians (theologians) themselves, events that happened in the last year of the life of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
Let me quickly remind you that from the previous parts we know that the Apostle Andrew, from 33-34 AD, left the Roman Empire for a long time, taking up the dissemination of the teachings of Christ in his missionary sermons.
Then, he again (obviously “tired of traveling” and the dangers associated with them?) “settled in Dacia” for a long time (some researchers of his life claim that for as long as 20 years!), now this territory belongs to Romania.
And then, for some “reasons” of his own, already being quite an old man, even for our time (and in those days, generally an ancient old man), he suddenly left Dacia and returned to Greece. Which by that time was under the complete control of the Romans and was divided by them in order to improve the management of the heterogeneous and hostile indigenous population into several provinces. (They were under the direct control of the Roman Senate - this is a very important circumstance for our story).
And here, let us decide on the approximate historical time of the events described below and at the same time we will proceed from the following calculations.
In Christianity, it is officially believed that the death of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called occurred around 70 AD (i.e., between 69 and 71) in the Greek city of Patras.
In this connection, it will be interesting for us to first familiarize ourselves with the text of the official “ Life of the Apostle Andrew"(the full text of which is here: http://deyaniya.ru/index.php?id_menu =5), but today we will only be interested in the last year of his life. Knowing the opinion of Christian theologians, it will be easier to navigate the whole mass of facts, legends and traditions that have grown up around the figure of the Apostle Andrew.
And this is what unknown church historians (monks) tell us, who worked on its compilation for many centuries, clarifying everything and polishing literally every word:
“After his apostolic service in the lands of future Russia, Saint Andrew visited Rome, from where he returned to the Greek country Epirus(Epirus is a region located in the west of modern Greece.
In the 2nd century BC. Epirus was conquered by Rome). As at the beginning of his journey, the apostle passed through Thrace, where he preached the teachings of Jesus again and again.
Having reached the Peloponnese (Peloponnese is a peninsula located in the south of modern Greece.
In the Peloponnese there were the cities of Sparta, Corinth, Mycenae, Olympia, Patras, where the Apostle Andrew suffered martyrdom), the First-Called entered the Achaian city of Patras (Patras is a city and port located on the Peloponnese peninsula, the administrative center of Achaea.
It got its name in honor of the ruler of Patreas.
Saint Andrew is revered as the patron saint of Patras. Now this city is home to one of the most significant Greek religious centers - the Cathedral of the Apostle Andrew).
In this place, Saint Andrew was destined to end his earthly journey by accepting martyrdom.
According to legend, in Patras he stayed with a respected man named Sosia. Saint Andrew saved him from a serious illness, after which he converted the inhabitants of the entire city to Christianity.
The ruler of Patras at that time was the Roman proconsul Egeates Antipates..
His wife Maximilla believed in Christ after the apostle healed her from a serious illness.
Saint Andrew cured Brother Egeates, Stratocles, as well as many other townspeople from various diseases by the laying on of hands.
However, the ruler himself did not accept the apostle’s preaching. Hard times have come for all the followers of the Savior.
Bloody persecution of Christians began, which was called the Nero persecution (named after the Roman emperor Nero). Christians were unfairly blamed for the burning of Rome.
Tradition says that the city was set on fire on the orders of Nero himself (Nero - (37-68) Roman emperor from the 54th year from the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was a student of the famous Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca.
Subsequently, the emperor, fearing a conspiracy, ordered his teacher to commit suicide.
The legend about Nero describes him as a cruel and treacherous ruler. He was one of the first persecutors of Christians, which earned him the nickname Antichrist, which is reflected in the “Book of Sibyls,” a Judeo-Christian literary monument of the 1st - 2nd centuries. n. BC), who wanted to admire the spectacle of the death of the capital of a great empire. Fire in Rome - broke out in the summer of 64, destroying 10 of the 14 districts of the city.
At the same time, St. Andrew’s brother, St. Apostle Peter, was crucified in Rome (St. Peter was crucified by order of Emperor Nero around the year 57 in Rome.
There is a legend that Roman Christians asked the apostle to flee, but the Lord, who appeared to Saint Peter in a miraculous vision, stopped him in this intention.).
Egeat Antipates persecuted Christians in Patras.
He forced believers in Christ to make sacrifices to pagan idols. Saint Andrew spoke out in defense of Christians.
This is what the legend says about the meeting of the apostle with the ruler of Patras.
“You are the destroyer of the temples of the gods, Andrei, trying to draw the people into an insane sect, which the rulers of the empire decided to exterminate,” Egeat began.
Saint Andrew, firm in his asceticism, answered that the Roman emperors did not know that the Son of God, having descended to earth for the salvation of the human race, called pagan idols unclean demons, hostile to man, who teach people to anger God and turn Him away from themselves, so that He didn't hear them.
The Apostle predicted that when God, angry, turns away from the human race, demons will captivate and seduce people until their souls leave the body, having nothing else but sins.
Egeat, threatening Saint Andrew with execution, recalled that when Christ preached his teaching, the Jews crucified him on the cross.
The holy apostle in response preached the mystery of the cross, that God, out of love for man, endured the torment of the cross. The Apostle told the future judges that Christ knew both about the time of his suffering and about his Resurrection on the third day.
Andrew spoke to Egeat about how the Savior, sitting with his disciples at the last supper, announced his traitor, speaking of the future as the past, and how He voluntarily went to the place where he was to be delivered into the hands of the Jews.
But the hard-hearted Egeat did not heed the admonitions of the holy apostle about the need to worship the true God and turn away from false ones.
He was only surprised how such a wise man as Andrei could call the execution of evildoers a sacrament, how he could profess faith in the one who was crucified on the cross - no matter how: voluntarily or involuntarily.
Indeed, in those days, execution by crucifixion was considered the most shameful; only slaves and the most despicable and criminal people were subjected to it.
The Apostle humbly asked Egeat to listen to what the sacrament of the cross is and why the sacrificial path of the Savior is so important, so that the hidden essence of this execution would be revealed to his interlocutor and, having learned the truth, he would believe, and having believed, he would find his soul.
It was strange for the pagan Egeat to hear Andrew’s words about finding a soul.
“Would you like to convince me that I am dead?” - he asked. Has the soul perished only to be found again through an unknown faith?
He listened with doubt and disbelief about how the first man brought death into the world by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus opened to the human race the sources of life, which had been closed for so long, for death must be destroyed through the tree of suffering, the tree of the cross on which Christ suffered.
And just as the first man was created from a pure land, so it was fitting that Christ, a perfect man and the son of God, should be born from a pure virgin.
The holy apostle told Egeat that the Savior came into the world in order to restore to people the lost eternal life. And if Adam sinned by daring to reach out to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Savior atoned for this sin by stretching out his hands along the edges of the cross and tasting bitter bile for the sweetness of the forbidden fruit.
But Egeat treated the preaching of the holy Apostle with disdain.
He said that only fools can listen to these empty words.
The cruel ruler again threatened Saint Andrew with beatings and execution if he did not renounce his faith and agree to make sacrifices to the pagan gods.
Mocking the apostle, Egeat said that he would crucify him on the very cross that he so glorifies, so that the preacher would also bear the mystery of the cross.
But the apostle was not afraid of execution; he answered with confidence and fearlessness to those who threatened him that the death of the righteous is honorable, and only the death of sinners is terrible.
And again he began to preach to Egeat. Now he told him about the sacrament of communion - the sacrament of sacrifice to the true God, which consists not in incense, not in the blood of sacrificial animals, but in the immaculate Lamb slain on the altar of the cross, whose flesh and blood serve as food and drink for the multitude of believers, He remains " alive, clean and undefiled."
Egeat could not understand the words and meaning of this teaching. He asked the saint how it could be that someone who is killed and eaten by people remains alive and whole.
And then Saint Andrew invited the cruel ruler to become his student in order to find out the answers to all his questions.
Egeat became furious and began to threaten Saint Andrew with torment to extort from him the truth about this teaching. But the apostle only humbly repeated that one can know the truth only by believing that Christ, the Son of God, crucified by the Jews, is the true God. Believe with love, - Saint Andrew urged his strict judge, - for only in this way can you know the mysteries of Christ.
Then Egeat, angry, ordered the Apostle to be thrown into prison..
Crowds of people, faithful to their teacher, flocked to the place of St. Andrew’s imprisonment.
They were ready to come to his defense, kill Egeates, hated by the entire city, and free the apostle from captivity.
However, the saint held them back with his inspired preaching. He asked them not to cause “disturbance in the name of Jesus Christ.” He recalled how the Savior, being betrayed to death, showed great patience.
He did not contradict his executioners, did not break free from their hands. Saint Andrew called on his followers to calm and silence, admonished them to behave like the soldiers of the Lord, who know how to suffer without complaining or grumbling.
He asked those gathered not to interfere with the trials that had befallen him - after all, it is not earthly torments that need to be feared, but those that have no end.
Human intimidation and threats are like smoke - having appeared, they suddenly disappear. Saint Andrew spent the whole night preaching the gospel to the people who had gathered at the place of his imprisonment.
He taught them not to be afraid of temporary suffering - they are easily endured, if they are insignificant, but if they are great, they end with bodily death, but should those who believe in the immortality of the soul be afraid of it?
Turning with love to those who listened to him that night, Saint Andrew called on them to be ready to move through temporary sorrows to eternal joy, to the eternal kingdom of Christ.
In the morning, the guards took the apostle to the court of Egeat Antipatos.
This is what legend tells us about how this trial took place. When Saint Andrew was brought to Egeat, the governor asked the apostle whether he had decided to abandon his madness and no longer preach Christ, in order to have fun with Egeat in this life, and not voluntarily go to torment and fire.
But Saint Andrew did not stop his apostolic ministry even in the face of death; he firmly preached the gospel to his judges and executioners.
He answered Egeat that he could share with him only the joy that comes from rejecting idols and believing in Christ.
The ruler, seeing the firmness and steadfastness of the apostle, again began to threaten him, accusing him of sowing confusion and discord in the Achaean cities, that people, seduced by his speeches, left the temples and angered the gods.
Egeat said that Saint Andrew, by abandoning his teaching, could return the people to the worship of the gods, to making sacrifices pleasing to the gods and to restoring the former order, but if the apostle did not agree to support Egeat, he would be crucified on the cross, like his teacher.
Saint Andrew answered his cruel judge that he was not afraid of even the most terrible torment, because the more severe suffering he endures for the Savior, the more he will be pleasing to the Lord, for, as a servant of Christ, he desires death on the cross.
The Apostle again tried to convert Egeat to the true faith; with love and meekness he repeated to the ruler that he grieved less about his suffering than about the death of Egeat’s sinful soul.
The apostle asked his judge not to increase his own torment and not to kindle the fire of hell for himself.
The angry Egeat ordered the apostle to be crucified.
When the servants led Saint Andrew to execution, many people gathered from all parts of the city.
People, not understanding what this righteous man had sinned and why he was being led to crucifixion, wanted to stop the servants and free Saint Andrew.
But the apostle himself begged the people not to interfere with his suffering; he walked joyfully, without ceasing to preach.
Noticing from a distance the cross placed for him (the cross was made obliquely, in the shape of the letter “X”), the apostle blessed him, turning to the instrument of his execution with words of greeting and reverence. Saint Andrew loudly exclaimed that he was going to death on the cross with joy and boldness.
“O cross, consecrated by my Lord and Master,” he cried, “I salute you, image of horror, you, after He died on you, have become a sign of joy and love! O all-loving cross, I have always wanted to die in your arms!
So, accept me, for through you I want to be presented to the One who redeemed me through you!”
Approaching the place of execution, Saint Andrew gave his clothes to the servants; the servants, lifting the martyr onto the cross, tied him by the hands and feet with chains, since Egeat ordered not to nail the apostle so that he would suffer longer.
To add insult to injury, he was tied upside down.
A large crowd of people gathered around the place of execution; Saint Andrew, hanging on the cross, strengthened with his preaching those who believed in Christ and called on them to endure temporary torment, teaching that no torment is worth anything compared to future reward.
The apostle preached from the cross for two days.
On the second day, many people went to Egeat’s house, demanding that this holy man, who even in the face of death never ceases to teach the truth, be taken down from the cross. The power of the people's anger frightened the ruler.
Together with the people, he went to the place of execution to free the apostle. Seeing Egeat, Saint Andrew turned to him from the cross with the words that he did not want to be taken down, for he already saw his King, already worshiped Him, already stood before Him.
The apostle said that he was sad only about the fate of his cruel judge, because eternal destruction awaited him.
When the servants approached to untie the saint from the cross, their hands did not obey them, as if they were numb.
Many people from the crowd approached and tried to free the apostle, but an unknown force stopped them.
Saint Andrew loudly prayed to the Lord to accept his spirit in peace, for the time had come to come to the Lord and see Him.
When the saint said this, a heavenly light shone around him, like lightning.
It was so bright that it was impossible for a person to look at it. This heavenly fire embraced the saint for half an hour, and the apostle gave up his ghost in a blaze of light to appear before the Lord.
Thus ended the earthly journey of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
Having learned about the death of the saint, Maximilla, the pious wife of Egeat, with great honor removed his body from the cross, and, anointing it with incense, placed it in a coffin that was intended for herself.
Egeat, angry with the people, plotted to take revenge on the rebels, and he wanted to slander Maximilla, his wife, before the emperor.
But, according to legend, when he was thinking about this, a demon came upon him and, tormented by it, Egeat died in the middle of the city.
When this was reported to his brother, Stratoclius, who believed in the teachings of Christ, he ordered a funeral rite to be performed over Egeat.
The pious Stratoclius did not try to appropriate anything that belonged to Egeat.
He asked the Lord to deliver him from his brother’s treasures, because they bear the sin of the one who, loving only his wealth, dared to put the Apostle of Christ to death.”
This beautiful legend (almost a ready-made script for the next Hollywood blockbuster) was developed by later (after all, the cult of the Holy Apostle Andrew began in Byzantium only in 357 AD with the transfer of his relics to Constantinople) Orthodox historians and theologians to glorify his martyrdom Apostle Andrew.
For Orthodox believers, the above information is, as it were, the ultimate truth. It’s already a sin to doubt it?!
But, dear reader, if we have set ourselves the task of conducting a comprehensive, complete and objective historical investigation, this information, and especially the ban on double-checking information about St. Andrew the First-Called, is not satisfactory!
In this connection, let’s begin our research work with the “Life” by analyzing it and highlighting the main points, based on which we will continue our investigation.
And having highlighted these points, we will double-check them based on data from modern historical science in order to finally obtain objective information about St. Andrew the First-Called.
1. The time of death of the Apostle Andrew is approximately 70 AD just before the death (or immediately after it) of the Roman Emperor Nero on June 9, 68 AD)
But not all Christian historians share this official. The point of view is that there are works where the date of death of the Apostle Andrew in Patras varies from 85 to 101 AD. e.
2. Place of Patras, Roman province of Appirus
A re-check of this information revealed that indeed in Greece there is now a city of Patras and it is the third largest city in the country (after Athens and Thessaloniki), with a population of 160 thousand people.
The largest city and port in the Peloponnese (the southern peninsula of the Balkan Peninsula), located in its northwestern part on the shores of the Patras Gulf of the Ionian Sea.
The city of Patras received its name in honor of one of the leaders of the Spartan Achaeans - Patreos Patras, who founded the city in the 3rd century. BC.
During the reign of the Roman Empire, crafts began to actively develop in the city, and Patras became the main connecting port of Greece with Italy.
But it is important for us that the city of Patras was never part of the Roman province of Epirus (a district in the north-west of Greece, with an administrative center in Ioannina, a historical part of ancient Hellas, with the rivers Acheron and Cocytus and the Illyrian population.
And Patras, according to the Roman administrative division, was included to the province of Achaea(- region inhabited by the Achaeans in the north of the Peloponnese.
Ahe I was named after the first settlers - the Achaeans from Argolid, who settled here during the conquest of the Mycenaean cities.
The capital of the region is Patras. This part of the island has played an important role since 280 BC. e., when the Achaean Confederation was formed.
After the victory over Macedonia, the Romans meant by Achaea the whole of Greece (as part of the Macedonian province; from 27 BC - a Senate province centered in Corinth).
In 67 AD BC, during the reign of Nero, the Greeks received tax exemption. Since 395, Achaea was part of the Eastern Roman Empire.
In general, as the reader himself sees, the Apostle Andrew knew where he should “go to preach.”
Almost directly “to the capital of Greece”, where the entire highest political and economic establishment is concentrated and, naturally, among the patriarchal merchants (and even exempt from Roman taxes, there are many people from Judea who were the main support of the Apostle Andrew in his mission to spread the teachings of Christ!
Therefore, Patra, just at the time of the Apostle Andrew, was like a Roman “OFFSHORE ZONE” where capital was instantly created and where Jewish merchants transferred their money from other places.
3. Sentenced to death by the proconsul of the province of Achaea Egeat Antipatos
Reasons:
1. Data on the direct involvement of the Apostle Andrew in the destroyer of the temples of the Roman gods,
2. Leadership of a religious sect (Christians) that emerged from the Jewish religion, a sect whose members, according to the laws of the Roman Empire, were subject to the death penalty in case of public refusal to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.
It would be possible to limit it to this, but I want to show (unlike Christian theologians who shift all the blame for the death of Andrew personally onto the proconsul of Achaea) that there is no other way out Egeta Antipata In the matter of suppressing the illegal activities of the Apostle Andrew, there was no problem according to Roman laws.
After all, from the point of view of the Roman state, the Christian church emerging underground was then a society extremely hostile to the existing order of things.
The persecution of Christianity, as an anti-state community, seemed inevitable to the Romans, and it was to become universal and systematic in the future.
After all, Christians were originally violators of Roman laws:
1) as members of a secret society,
2) as opponents of the state religion (sacrilegium)
3) as not admirers of the cult of the Caesars (crimen laesae majestatis).
But they may ask: “ What was the criminality of Christianity?”
After all, the legal position is one thing and the actual application of Roman legislation (practice) is another.
And here, you need to know that Roman law punished not beliefs, but actions! By the way, this principle, developed by ancient Roman jurists, is officially recorded in all modern criminal codes, including the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation!
Therefore, speeches and writings against religion, ridicule and censure of it did not constitute a crime in the Roman Empire.
For example, the Christian St. Justin had a school in Rome and preached there about the Christian God.
But, the deviation of Christians from honoring those following the Roman gods, as an obligatory matter for all citizens, is a crime - sacrilegium, just as majestas is the deviation of a subject to express his respect to the emperor in certain cases or actions!
The fact of a religious crime could only be established by an official, i.e. by the Roman administration.
Guilt could be determined either by an accusator or by coercitio techniques.
And for the Roman authorities (legal and judicial officials), the accusation of “Christianity” was an easy opportunity to prove the presence of corpus delicti on the suspected person, and not the crime itself, as a proven fact.
And here is the most important feature!
Which all Christian historians stubbornly suppress!
Every Christian could be brought to trial for violating the law on the veneration of Caesar, but he was punished not as a Christian and not for Christianity, but only as an opponent of the cult of the Caesars, as a person guilty of majestas.
The title of Christian was then only punishable when it was actually proven by refusal to perform ceremonies in honor of the Roman gods and the emperor.
And cases against Christians were considered not in public criminal trials, but on the basis, in modern terms, of “police law” or administrative law.
By virtue of special powers, police law gave the judicial authorities the right to initiate trials against Christians themselves.
However, often (but not in the case of the Apostles Andreev, by their behavior through interference in his personal and family life, which personally embittered the proconsul of Achaea), the Roman proconsuls and magistrates, convinced of the actual harmlessness of Christians, left them alone.
The same St. Irenaeus wrote around 185: “the world enjoys peace through the Romans, and we Christians move without fear through the streets, we travel by sea wherever we want.”
Now some new information about Nero and the fire of Rome and how this was connected by the Roman authorities with the Christians who lived there.
In 64 AD e in Rome, the then first and only capital of the world, a great emergency happened - ROME caught fire!
But this was not wooden Moscow, which burned at every “convenient” opportunity.
Rome was a stone city with an extensive water supply system, and in order to deliberately set it on fire, special conditions and the efforts of a large group of people were needed.
The fire started on the night of July 19-20, 1964, and raged for 6 days and 7 nights. Of the 14 quarters of Rome, only four remained undamaged.
There is a probable assumption, but there is no evidence to pass it off as a fact, that Emperor Nero himself ordered Rome to be set on fire, and then, frightened by popular excitement, he rejected suspicion, pointing to Christians as the culprits of the fire.
Moreover, many historians claim that the idea of the involvement of Christians in the fire in Rome was planted on Nero by the judges of the Jewish SANHEDRION and therefore this persecution of Christians in history is considered the last of the Jewish persecutions of Christians.
It is believed that the Jews, through the imperial concubine Poppaea, perhaps even a proselyte of Judaism, gave Nero the idea to accuse Christians.
First of all, according to Tacitus, those who confessed were captured. Many Christians were dressed in the skins of wild animals and torn to pieces by dogs; others were thrown into the Tiber, or, smeared with tar, burned at night in the Vatican gardens.
The apostles Peter and Paul fell victim to Nero's persecution.
It is very difficult to determine a firm date of death; it is believed to be between 64-68. Paul was beheaded as a Roman citizen on the way to Ostia;
Peter was crucified head down (Evs. Ts. I. III, 1). Peter was buried north of Via Cornelia, at the foot of the Vatican hill, while Paul was buried on Via Ostiensis, in the plain between the road and the Tiber.
Church tradition from the 2nd century. posits the simultaneous murder of both apostles on the same day (Evs. Ts.I. XXV, con. ch.).
As for the holiday in honor of the apostles on June 29, as the day of their common death, it appeared only in the year 300; in fact, June 29 is the day of the transfer of the relics, the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul in 257 to S. Sebastiano.
After the Nero persecution, which was limited to Rome and had no further consequences, Christians lived relatively calmly even before the reign of Emperor Domitian.
So, linking the fire in Rome with the first mass persecution of Christians in Greece, including in the city of Patras, as stated in the “Life of the Apostle Andrew,” is not confirmed by historical facts.
But the above information gives us a new vision of the reason why the Apostle Andrew appeared in Patras!
After all, after the execution of the apostles Peter and Paul, and the dispersal or physical destruction of the Roman Christian community, Christianity as an emerging world religion was left without its supreme leader and sharply declined!
This is where Andrei appeared, and even the “First-Called” by Christ himself, so to speak, to “pick up the CROSS from the hands of the fallen and continue their work!”
But then the Apostle Andrew began his last “messianic campaign” poorly.
Rather, outdated “methods” no longer corresponded to either the situation or the political situation prevailing in the Roman Empire.
Here I want to remind the reader of a very strange and very confusing story that happened to the Apostle Andrew in the city of Sinope, the place that he allegedly initially chose for his sermons and where he soon had to, in order to escape the court of the Sanhedrin, raise a riot in the local prison and flee first to the Caucasus, and then to Chersonesos.
And from there begin your wanderings through Scythia and beyond...
« After baptizing the inhabitants of Charakon and confirming them in the faith, the glorious apostle went to the city of Sinop.
There he found several of his disciples, previously enlightened ones, and stayed with them.
There were many Jews in this city, as we said above. Having learned about the arrival of the God-bearing Andrew, who had previously opened the doors of the prison and freed all the prisoners from it, they gathered and angrily attacked the saint, intending to set fire to the very house in which he lived; they dragged him through the streets, brutally beat him with stones and sticks, and tormented his body.
One of them, a man with a brutal spirit, bit the finger of the apostle and for this the inhabitants of Sinop are still called finger eaters.
Struck by cruel ulcers, Saint Andrew was thrown as if dead outside the city.
That night the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and said: " Arise, my chosen and first-called disciple! Hurry to the city with boldness without any fear, I am with you ".
Having said this, the Lord healed his wounded finger and ascended to heaven.
At dawn, the apostle again appeared to the inhabitants of the city, without fear he taught and preached Christ.
They, seeing such amazing patience and meekness with which he begged them to accept the word, softened and began to listen with attention to the interpretation of the scriptures about Jesus Christ, in whom they finally believed.”
