Simon the Zealot (Acts 1:13, Luke 6:15), also the Canaanite or the Canaanean (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18; Ancient Greek: Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης; Coptic: ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲡⲓ-ⲕⲁⲛⲁⲛⲉⲟⲥ; Classical Syriac: ܫܡܥܘܢ ܩܢܢܝܐ),[3] was one of the apostles of Jesus.

However, Jerome and others, such as Bede, suggested that the word "Kananaios" or "Kananite" should be translated as "Canaanean" or "Canaanite", meaning that Simon was from the town of קנה Cana in Galilee.

[7] Eisenman's broader conclusions, that the zealot element in the original apostle group was disguised and overwritten to make it support the assimilative Pauline Christianity of the Gentiles, are more controversial.

A boy named Simon is bitten by a snake in his hand; he is healed by Jesus, who told the child "you shall be my disciple".

According to the Golden Legend, which is a collection of hagiographies, compiled by Jacobus de Voragine in the thirteenth century, "Simon the Cananaean and Judas Thaddeus were brethren of James the Less and sons of Mary Cleophas, who was married to Alpheus.

"[16][17] In later tradition, Simon is often associated with Jude the Apostle as an evangelizing team; in Western Christianity, they share their feast day on 28 October.

The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia or Beirut in today's Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65.

According to an Eastern tradition, Simon travelled to Georgia on a missionary trip, died in Abkhazia and was buried in Nicopsia, a not yet identified site on the Black Sea coast.

Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria, while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia.

[12] In Islam, Muslim exegesis and Quran commentary name the twelve apostles and include Simon amongst the disciples.