The Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot is mentioned in the lists of the 12 apostles in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), but little is known about him.
Simon came from Cana of Galilee. In the Holy Scriptures, he is called a Canaanite and a Zealot to distinguish him from Simon Peter. The nickname Zealot (Greek: ζηλωτής) in Greek means "zealot", that is, a pious person who zealously follows the Jewish law. Sometimes the nickname Zealot is often interpreted in the sense of commitment to the party of Zealots (Zealots) – active fighters against Roman rule. His other nickname, Kananit (Aram. Qan'ana), according to one version, indicates his origin as a native of the city of Kana; according to another version, this name is explained based on the translation from Aramaic: "zealot".
Tradition sometimes identified him with Simeon, an apostle from among the 70, the "brother of the Lord" (the son of Joseph's first marriage), who became the second bishop of Jerusalem after the execution of James the Righteous.
The first miracle performed by the Savior, the transformation of water into wine, took place in Simon's house (John 2:1-11). There was not enough wine for the guests during the feast. Then, through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Lord transformed water into wine. Amazed by the miracle, Simon believed with all his heart and soul in the Lord Jesus as the promised Messiah and, abandoning everything, followed Him.
On the day of Pentecost, he received, along with the other apostles, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Apostle Simon preached the teaching of Christ in Judea, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, and Britain. According to legend, the holy Apostle Simon died a martyr on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, presumably in Abkhazia, in the second half of the 1st century. According to another version, he was killed in Persia. It is believed that Simon was beheaded with a sword or sawn alive with a saw. There is also a legend that he was crucified on the cross.
Simon the Zealot was buried in the city of Nicosia, the location of which is also controversial. According to some opinions, this city is the current New Athos in Abkhazia; according to others, it was located on the site of the current village of Novomikhailovsky in the Krasnodar Territory. Subsequently, in the 19th century, the New Athonite Monastery of Simon the Canaanite was built on the supposed site of the apostle's exploits, near Apsara Mountain. Currently, the relics of the apostle are under the protection of the Simon Canaanite Church in New Athos, some of the relics are in Germany (in the Basilica of St. Andrew the First-Called in Cologne) and the Vatican (in St. Peter's Cathedral).
The Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot is considered the patron saint of Christian spouses, since during the celebration of the Sacrament of the Wedding, an excerpt about the marriage in Cana of Galilee is read.