Simon Peter, Fisherman
Son of Jonah (John) and Joanna, Brother to Andrew.
Called by Jesus Cephas (in Greek Petros) meaning a little rock or pebble, a stone.
Journeys to Britain and Gaul (France), Imprisoned in Rome at Mamertime (Gemonium or the Tullian Keep) for 9 months and then crucified (nailed to cross upside down) in Nero's Circus A.D. 67.
Remains are beneath the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

Andrew, Fisherman
Son of Jonah (John) and Joanna, Brother to Simon Peter.
Born in Bethsaida, Galilee and later moved to Capernaum.
Follower of John the Baptist and first Apostle chosen by Christ.
Journeys to Southern Russia, Byzantium, Thrace, Macedonia and Greece. In Patros, Greece governor Aigeatis had Andrew brought before a tribunal and demanded he denounce Christ. When Andrew refused he was beat and tied to a cross shaped like an X, where he died in three days. His final words were 'Accept me O Christ Jesus, Whom I saw, Whom I love, and in Whom I am. Accept my spirit in peace in Your Eternal Realm.'
Remains were dispersed in 1460 to protect them from invading Turks. Some are in Rome and St. Andrew's skull was returned to Patos in 1964.

James the Elder, Fisherman
Son of Zebedee and Salome (sister of Jesus mother, Mary), Elder Brother of John, father of Judas Thaddaeus (the Apostle), First cousin to Jesus.
Journeys possibly to India and Spain, First Apostle to be martyred. Beheaded in Jerusalem by King Herod Agrippa in about 44 A.D.
Remains possibly taken to Spain to keep from invading Persians. The head of St. James is believed to be buried under the altar of St. James Cathedral in Jerusalem.

John, Fisherman
Son of Zebedee and Salome (sister of Mary), Younger Brother of James, First cousin to Jesus, Disciple of John the Baptist, Cared for Mary (mother of Jesus) until her death (in Ephesus).
Journeys to Russia, Iran and Turkey. Exiled to Patmos (off coast of Turkey) where he wrote the book of Revelations. Died of old age around 100 A.D. The tomb of St. John is in the ruins of the Basilica of St. John in Ephesus, Turkey. The location of his remains is unknown.

Philip
Philip was from the Jewish tribe of Zebulon. (Philip is a Greek name meaning "Lover of horses"). In Hierapolis (Turkey) Philip and Bartholomew saved the sick wife of the Roman Proconsul. As a result she became a Christian which politically embarrassed her husband. He sentenced both apostles to death by crucifixion. The Proconsul is reported to have told Philip "denounce Jesus and save your lives." Philip answered "accept Jesus and save your soul." Somehow Bartholomew escaped but Philip was martyred, being "pierced through the thigh and hung upside down until dead." He was 87 at the time of his death.
Philip had four daughters who were virgin prophetesses in Hierapolis. After Philips death two of these daughters married, the other two remained virgins and died in Hierapolis.
A Gospel of Phillip was found at Nag Hammadi and is Gnostic in nature. There is also a book of the Acts of Philip that praise virginity.
Journeys to Turkey, Russia and probably France. Later Philip lived in Hierapolis where he was crucified.
Remains of Philip were moved from their tomb in Hierapolis to The Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome by Pope John III.

Bartholomew
Bartholomew died in Albana (now Derbend), Armenia in 68 A.D., where he was "skilled alive" and then beheaded.
Journeys to Turkey, Iran, India, Ethiopia, Persia and Egypt.
Remains are chiefly in the Church of St. Bartholomew at Rome.

Thomas (also known as Didymas), Fisherman
Journeys to Babylon, Persia and India where he was "pierced in the side by a lance while praying.". This was on Mt. Thomas in Mylapore, India where he frequently met with his followers in a cave on the mountain.
Remains were smuggled out of India (when it was sacked by the Turks) and taken to Edessa in Mesopotamia. Here the remains of St. Thomas appear to have become scattered. Some are now believed to be in a church in Ortona, Italy.

Matthew (also known as Levi), Tax Collector
Son of Alphaeus and Mary (Mary may have a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus), elder brother of James the Less. There are many stories, but it is unknown where and how Matthew died. The most likely story is that he was martyred in Egypt.
Journeys to Ethiopia, Macedonia, Persia and Syria
Remains are believed to be in the Cathedral of St. Matteo in Salerno, Italy

James the Younger (or the Less)
Son of Alphaeus and Mary, younger brother of Matthew Levi
James resembled Jesus Christ so much in body and manner that it was difficult to distinguish one from the other. The kiss of Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane was necessary to make sure that Jesus and not James was taken prisoner - Golden Legend 1275 A.D.
There is no record or indication of physical appearance of Jesus Christ. There is an interesting comment in the 53rd. chapter of Isaiah, verse 2, that predicts the Messiah would have "no beauty that we should desire him." The images we have of Christ are derived from Greek art and their God Zeus and his son Hercules.
James was stoned to death in Jerusalem by Jews for preaching the lessons of Jesus.
Remains were first moved to Constantinople and then in about 572 A.D. Pope John III had them moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome.

Judas Thaddaeus (also known as Trionius Lebbaeus), Fisherman
Son of James the Elder, Grandson of Zebedee, Nephew of John (the Apostle).
Journeys to Syria, Northern Persia and Armenia. Killed in 60 (50?) A.D. by a lance on Mt. Ararat near Ardaze, Armenia. (Also see Simon who likely died with Judas)
Remains were distributed and became widely scattered to keep safe from the invading Genghis Khan. Some relics are now in St. Peters Basilica in Rome and some in the Church of St. Saturninus in Tolosa, Spain.

Simon (also known as Canaanite, or Cananean, or Zealot)
One legend says that Simon was arrested by order of Roman Procurator Catus Decianus and crucified at Caistor, Lincolnshire, Brittain in May 61 A.D. It is more likely that Simon died with Judas Thaddaeus in Persia, where "Simon was sawn asunder and St. Jude killed with a halberd." (A halberd is a battle-ax on a long pike handle).
Journeys to Britain, Egypt, North Africa, Spain and Persia.
Remains of Simon are intermixed with St. Jude. Most are believed to be at St. Peters Basilica in Rome with pieces in the Church of St. Saturninus in Tolosa, Spain and St. Sernin in Toulouse, France.

Judas Iscariot (also known as Judas of Kerioth)
Son of Simon
'Treasurer' of the twelve disciples - betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He returned the money to the Jewish priests who refused to accept since it was now considered "blood money". Judas threw the money at the priests feet then went out and hung himself. The money was used to purchase a plot of land to be used as a burial place for the poor. This grave yard came to be known as the "Field of Blood" or "Potters Field."

Judas was a common Jewish name up to the time of this treason. (Jesus had a brother named Judas). Ever since, the name Judas has been associated with treason and evil.

Matthias
Elected by the remaining eleven disciples to take the place of Judas Iscariot. May have been a follower of Jesus since the baptism by John the Baptist. Most likely was one of the 'seventy' sent by Jesus to preach. Matthias was stoned to death in Phaleon or Jerusalem in Judaea.
Journeys to Armenia.
Remains are at St. Matthias in Trier, Germany and in Rome.

James the Just (not one of the Apostles)
Son of Joseph and Mary, brother of Jesus. James was not converted to Christianity until he saw Jesus risen from the grave. He became overseer of the Judean Church and author of the Book of James, but was not one of the twelve Apostles. When he refused to denounce Jesus, the Jewish priests threw James from the pinnacle of the temple, where he was then stoned and finally clubbed to death. (About 62 or 66 A.D.)
Remains were moved from their tomb on the west slope on the Mt. of Olives and are now most likely in the Cathedral of St. James on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.

Judas
Son of Joseph and Mary, brother of Jesus.
Author of The Book of Jude.

John the Baptist
Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Cousin to Jesus
Imprisoned and beheaded at the Fortress of Marchaerus (now called Mekaur) in the mountains on the east side of the Red Sea.
Remains are in part (hand and skull) in the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul.

Barnabas (also known as Joseph or Joses)
One of the 70, given the name Barnabas by the Apostles
Journeys to Cyprus and Asia Minor with Paul
Tradition says Barnabas was martyred in Salamis on Cyprus

Luke (Lucas Medicus Antichensis)
Luke was a gentile, the author of the Book of Luke and possibly the Book of Acts of The Apostles. The title of physician may have come for Luke's caring for Paul when he was ill. By profession Luke may have been a painter.
Remains are in St. Peters Basilica in Rome and the Church of the Apostles in Constantinople.

John Mark (Marcus Jonah)
Cousin to Barnabas, not one of the twelve but may have been one of the seventy. Author of the Book of Mark based on the recollections of Peter. Mary, Mark's mother, owned the house in Jerusalem with the "upper room" where the Pentecostal baptism of the Apostles took place. Today the church of St. Mark sets on this site in Jerusalem.
Journeys to Cyprus with Paul, to Babylon with Peter, Turkey, Alexandria in Egypt and North Africa. Martyred in 68 A.D.
Remains are in St. Marks Cathedral in Venice, Italy and the Coptic Church in Alexandria.

Lazarus
Brother to Martha and Mary Magdalene. Our Savior visited their home in Bethany on several occasions. When Lazarus became ill and died Jesus raised him from the dead. He and his sisters were active in the early church of Jerusalem and fled to Cyprus to escape persecution at the time of Stephen.
Journeys to Cyprus and Marseilles, France.
Remains were moved to Constantinople and from there have been lost. Many artifacts are believed to be in France.

Emperor Constantine (A.D. 280?-337)
At the battle of Milvain Bridge (October 312 A.D.), Constantine had a vision and attributed his victory and ascension to the thrown of Rome to the Christian Cross. In 313 A.D. Constantine granted all people full liberty to choose any religion they desired and personally favored the Christians. He made Sunday the day of assembly and rest, abolished crucifixion as a form of capitol punishment, abolished public gladiator fights and made it unlawful to kill unwanted children. Unable to sway most royal families of Rome to convert to Christianity Constantine move the capitol to Constantinople, "the New Rome." In Constantinople Constantine built "The Church of the Twelve Apostles." Here he intended to place the remains of the twelve apostles in a circle . . . with his tomb in the center.

Emperor Theodosis (A.D. 378-398)
Made Christianity the State Religion of the Roman Empire and church membership compulsory. Under his rule Christians tore down pagan temples and tortured the "heathens." (The persecuted became the persecutors). Under the rule of Emperor Theodosis the Christian church changed from a religious order to a government power. Religious meetings developed into elaborate ceremonies of state.