St Simon the Apostle

Not much is known about St Simon, he is only mentioned in the list of Apostles. He was called Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were a national Jewish opposition group that emerged around the time of Jesus’s birth, and Simon may have been one of them. The Zealots wanted to protect and preserve Jewish culture against Greek and Roman influence. In 66 CE, they spearheaded a rebellion against the Romans, which led to the fall of Jerusalem and the city’s destruction in 70 CE.

St Simon died a gruesome martyr’s death in Persia in 47 CE. He is said to have been sawn in half lengthwise. The saw therefore became his symbol.