Simon of Cyrene

Background

Cyrene was a Greek city in the province of Cyrenaica, in eastern Libya, in northern Africa. It had a Jewish community, where 100,000 Judean Jews settled during the reign of Ptolemy Soter (323–285 BC), and was an early center of Christianity.

The Cyrenian Jews had a synagogue in Jerusalem, where many went for annual feasts.

Biblical accounts

Simon's act of carrying the cross, patibulum (crossbeam in Latin), for Jesus is the fifth station of the Stations of the Cross. Some interpret the passage as indicating that Simon was chosen because he may have shown sympathy with Jesus. Others point out that the text itself says nothing, that he had no choice, and that there is no basis to consider the carrying of the cross an act of sympathetic generosity.

Mark 15:21 identifies Simon as "the father of Alexander and Rufus". Tradition states that they became missionaries; the inclusion of their names may suggest that they were of some standing in the Early Christian community at Rome. Mark's Gospel, which was written for a Roman audience, seems to suggest that the audience knew who these men were. It has also been suggested that the Rufus (in Greek: Ῥοῦφον or Rhouphon) mentioned by Paul in Romans is the son of Simon of Cyrene. Some also link Simon himself with the "men of Cyrene" who preached the Gospel to the Hellenized Jews (Greek: Ελληνιστάς) in Acts . On the other hand, Simon's name alone does not prove he was Jewish, and Alexander and Rufus were both common names and may have referred to others. Simon is not mentioned in the Gospel of John.

A burial cave in the Kidron Valley discovered in 1941 by E. L. Sukenik, belonging to Cyrenian Jews and dating before AD 70, was found to have an ossuary inscribed twice in Greek "Alexander son of Simon". It cannot, however, be certain that this refers to the same person.. Also venerated in the Roman Catholic Church.

Gnostic and Islamic views

Gnostic

According to some Gnostic traditions, Simon of Cyrene, by mistaken identity, suffered the events leading up to the crucifixion. This is the story presented in the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, although it is unclear whether Simon or another actually died on the cross. This is part of a belief held by some Gnostics that Jesus was not of flesh, but only took on the appearance of flesh (see also Basilides, and Swoon hypothesis).

Basilides, in his gospel of Basilides, is reported by Irenaeus as having taught a docetic doctrine of Christ's passion. He states the teaching that Christ, in Jesus, as a wholly divine being, could not suffer bodily pain and did not die on the cross; but that the person crucified was, in fact, Simon of Cyrene. Irenaeus quotes Basiledes:

Islamic

Orthodox Muslim theology teaches Jesus ascended to Heaven without dying on the cross. Furthermore, Muslims believe that Jesus will descend in a second coming near the end of times to confront and kill Dajjal or the Anti-christ.

In popular culture

According to the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, Simon was a pagan. The Romans recognized he was not a Jew by his clothes and then chose him to oblige him to help Jesus carry the cross.

Poet Ridgely Torrence wrote a play about him titled Simon the Cyrenian. A 1920 YWCA production of this play was directed by Dora Cole, sister of composer Bob Cole, and starred Paul Robeson.

Sidney Poitier was cast as Simon of Cyrene in The Greatest Story Ever Told that was directed by George Stevens and released in 1965.

In the 1979 comedy film Monty Python's Life of Brian is a vignette alluding to Simon of Cyrene. A seemingly pious and generous man offers to one of the condemned carrying a cross, "Brother, let me shoulder your burden." Upon doing so, the condemned man runs off, leaving the generous man stuck with the cross and future crucifixion.

The film The Passion of the Christ portrays Simon (Jarreth Merz) as a Jew who, having been forced by the Romans to carry the cross, is initially unwilling but comes to show compassion to Jesus and helps him.

French singer-poet Georges Brassens mentioned Simon in one of the verses of his famous song-poem La prière (The prayer): "Comme la croix du fils sur Simon de Cyrène" (Like the son's cross on Simon of Cyrene). The song is based on an original poem called Rosaire by French poet Francis Jammes that also contains this verse.

Movements

Both the Simon Community, and the Cyrenian movement (which provides services to homeless and other disadvantaged groups in the UK) take their name from Simon of Cyrene.

References

References

1. Gresham, John R. Jr.. (2017-10-31). "St. Simon's Day: Calendar and Common Ground".
2. (2022-12-04). "What happened to Simon of Cyrene after the crucifixion?".
3. {{bibleverse. Mark. 15:21-22. KJV
4. {{bibleverse. Luke. 23:26. KJV
5. (1982). "Today's Dictionary of the Bible". [[Bethany House]].
6. "Stations of the Cross - Fifth Station".
7. Carson, D. A.. (1984). "The Expositor's Bible Commentary". [[Zondervan]].
8. Wessel, Walter W.. (1984). "The Expositor's Bible Commentary". [[Zondervan]].
9. B. B. Warfield. (December 1883). "The Readings "Ελληνας and 'Ελληνιστάς, Acts xi. 20". Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis.
10. Evans, Craig A.. (2006). "Jesus and Archaeology". [[William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]].
11. (2003). "The Gnostic Bible". Shambhala.
12. (1997). "The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church". [[Oxford University Press]].
13. Ehrman, Bart. (2005-07-27). "Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew". [[Oxford University Press]].
14. Kelhoffer, James A.. (2014). "Conceptions of "Gospel" and Legitimacy in Early Christianity". [[Mohr Siebeck]].
15. Irenaeus. (1857). "Libros quinque adversus Haereses". Typis academicis.
16. Emmerich, Anne Catherine. "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ".
17. (2001). "Paul Robeson: The Years of Promise and Achievement". [[University of Massachusetts Press]].
18. Goudsouzian, Aram. (2004). "Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon". [[University of North Carolina Press]].
19. "Cyrenians – About us".