St Peter: his origins

Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis. JJ Tissot

We continue the series posts on St Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, in the fervent hope that he may intercede on behalf of those who, in their own lives, have betrayed those whom they should have loved and cherished the most.

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.

Tecum tutus semper sum.

Ad Jesum per Mariam

[  ] References in the text to numbered footnotes are not hyperlinked but may be found at the end of the relevant text.

His Origins

Part of Palestine in New Testament times. (Photo PB 2019)

Simon was born in Bethsaida, a town on the northern shore of Lake of Genesareth[1] near the mouth of the River Jordan. The Apostle Andrew was his brother, and the Apostle Philip came from the same town. Bethsaida may signify 'house of fish' or 'house of fishermen'.
He was of a family of fishermen and he owned his own boat.[2]

Simon appears to have moved to Capharnaum, [3]  where he was living with his wife and his mother-in-law in his own house.[4] According to Clement of Alexandria [5] and Eusebius [6] he had children and his wife suffered martyrdom.





[1] The names of this stretch of water vary:
[1] And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,
Factum est autem, cum turbae irruerunt in eum ut audirent verbum Dei, et ipse stabat secus stagnum Genesareth. [Luke 5]
[1] After this, Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. And he shewed himself after this manner.
Postea manifestavit se iterum Jesus discipulis ad mare Tiberiadis. Manifestavit autem sic : [John 21]
[18] And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers).
Ambulans autem Jesus juxta mare Galilaeae, vidit duos fratres, Simonem, qui vocatur Petrus, et Andream fratrem ejus, mittentes rete in mare ( erant enim piscatores), [Matt 4]
 
[2] [3] And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
Ascendens autem in unam navim, quae erat Simonis, rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum. Et sedens docebat de navicula turbas [Luke 5]

[3] Capharnaum means village of Nahum or consolation. It is frequently mentioned in the Gospels: 
When repelled by the Nazarenes, Jesus made it His new abode (Matthew 4:13; Luke 4:31; John 2:12); 
He chose there his first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew (Matthew 4:18, 21; 9:9; Mark 1:16); 
He cured there

• the centurion's servant, 
• Peter's mother-in-law, 
• a paralytic, 
• a demoniac, 
• the Hæmorrhoissa, et al; 

He brought to life again the daughter of Jairus, and delivered many discourses, especially the one concerning the institution of the Eucharist (John 6). 
The inhabitants, however, at the instigation of the Pharisees, broke off with Him, and Jesus, on leaving their city, cursed it (Matthew 11:23).

Caparnaum: Healing Peter's mother-in-law. JJ Tissot.

[4] [14] And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying, and sick of a fever:
Et cum venisset Jesus in domum Petri, vidit socrum ejus jacentem, et febricitantem :
[15] And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose and ministered to them.
et tetigit manum ejus, et dimisit eam febris, et surrexit, et ministrabat eis. [Matth 8]
[38] And Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her.
Surgens autem Jesus de synagoga, introivit in domum Simonis. Socrus autem Simonis tenebatur magnis febribus : et rogaverunt illum pro ea.
[39] And standing over her, he commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them.
Et stans super illam imperavit febri : et dimisit illam. Et continuo surgens, ministrabat illis. [Luke 4]




[5] Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria (Greek: Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς):c. 150 – c. 215; convert, early Greek theologian and head of the catechetical school of Alexandria.

[6] Eusebius of Caesarea; Greek: Εὐσέβιος τῆς Καισαρείας: AD 260/265 – 339/340; historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist.