Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History, Books I–X

Chapter XXXII.—Symeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, suffers Martyrdom.

1. It is reported that after the age of Nero and Domitian, under the emperor whose times we are now recording, ^{Edition note 1} a persecution was stirred up against us in certain cities in consequence of a popular uprising. ^{Edition note 2} In this persecution we have understood that Symeon, the son of Clopas, who, as we have shown, was the second bishop of the church of Jerusalem, ^{Edition note 3} suffered martyrdom.

2. Hegesippus, whose words we have already quoted in various places, ^{Edition note 4} is a witness to this fact also. Speaking of certain heretics ^{Edition note 5} he adds that Symeon was accused by them at this time; and since it was clear that he was a Christian, he was tortured in various ways for many days, and astonished even the judge himself and his attendants in the highest degree, and finally he suffered a death similar to that of our Lord. ^{Edition note 6}

3. But there is nothing like hearing the historian himself, who writes as follows:

4. And the same writer says that his accusers also, when search was made for the descendants of David, were arrested as belonging to that family. ^{Edition note 10} And it might be reasonably assumed that Symeon was one of those that saw and heard the Lord, ^{Edition note 11} judging from the length of his life, and from the fact that the Gospel makes mention of Mary, the wife of Clopas, ^{Edition note 12} who was the father of Symeon, as has been already shown. ^{Edition note 13}

5. The same historian says that there were also others, descended from one of the so-called brothers of the Saviour, whose name was Judas, who, after they had borne testimony before Domitian, as has been already recorded, ^{Edition note 14} in behalf of faith in Christ, lived until the same reign.

6. He writes as follows:

7. In addition to these things the same man, while recounting the events of that period, records that the Church up to that time had remained a pure and uncorrupted virgin, since, if there were any that attempted to corrupt the sound norm of the preaching of salvation, they lay until then concealed in obscure darkness.

8. But when the sacred college of apostles had suffered death in various forms, and the generation of those that had been deemed worthy to hear the inspired wisdom with their own ears had passed away, then the league of godless error took its rise as a result of the folly of heretical teachers, ^{Edition note 20} who, because none of the apostles was still living, attempted henceforth, with a bold face, to proclaim, in opposition to the preaching of the truth, the ‘knowledge which is falsely so-called.’ ^{Edition note 21}