Artistic illustrationPeter
A Galilean fisherman, resurrection witness and early Church leader. His story holds courage, denial and a renewed call.
Explore 5 chaptersSPECIAL COLLECTION · THE CHURCH’S BEGINNINGSTwelve lives.
Twelve lives.
One calling.
Fishermen, a tax collector, friends, and a betrayer. Meet the people behind the names, from their encounter with Jesus to their final witness.
12Apostles in the Gospel lists+1Matthias, Judas’s replacement65Bilingual chapters12Places traced
READING WITH CONTEXT
Familiar names. Uncertain details.
This collection follows the twelve named in the Gospels, including Judas Iscariot. Matthias appears separately as the replacement chosen in Acts 1:15–26. Paul was not a member of this group of twelve.
USCCBUSCCBUSCCBThree evidence markers
Scripture An event or name recorded in a biblical text.
Tradition Later testimony or an established practice of veneration.
Uncertain Details differ between sources or remain unknown.
THE GOSPEL LISTS
Meet the twelve apostles
An order for browsing, not a ranking or a chronology of calling.
12 apostles · 1 replacement
Artistic illustration
Artistic illustrationAndrew
Peter’s brother, repeatedly bringing others to Jesus in the Gospels. His legacy connects Eastern and Western Christian traditions.
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Artistic illustrationJames, son of Zebedee
John’s brother, present at the Transfiguration and Gethsemane. His death by the sword is directly recorded in Acts.
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Artistic illustrationJohn, son of Zebedee
James’s brother, seen beside Peter in the early mission. Tradition connects him with the beloved disciple and the Church’s memory at Ephesus.
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Artistic illustrationPhilip
An apostle from Bethsaida who brings Nathanael to Jesus and asks an important question about the Father.
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Artistic illustrationBartholomew
A name in the lists of the Twelve. Tradition identifies him with Nathanael, but Scripture does not explicitly make that identification.
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Artistic illustrationThomas
A disciple who asks questions, is willing to face danger and confesses the risen Jesus. Indian tradition extends the memory of his mission.
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Artistic illustrationMatthew
A calling that reaches a tax collector. Matthew’s story opens questions about changed lives, mercy and the Gospel’s legacy.
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Artistic illustrationJames, son of Alphaeus
An apostle consistently named among the Twelve, with very few known individual episodes. His identity must be distinguished from other men named James.
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Artistic illustrationJude Thaddaeus
An apostle traditionally connected with Thaddaeus and Judas son of James. He must be distinguished from Judas Iscariot.
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Artistic illustrationSimon the Zealot
One of the Twelve with a nickname associated with zeal. Few details of his individual life survive in the New Testament.
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Artistic illustrationJudas Iscariot
Among the Twelve chosen by Jesus, later handing him over to those arresting him. His story is read without confusing him with Jude Thaddaeus or judging his eternal fate.
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Matthias: continuing the witness
He is not a thirteenth name in the original Gospel lists. The disciples chose him to take Judas’s place after the resurrection.
PLACES · RELICS · MEMORY
Where do their traces lead?
From Rome and Amalfi to Chennai and Trier. Relic locations follow custodial reports. John’s site at Ephesus is marked as a memorial; Judas Iscariot has no relic location assigned.
A selection of locations, not an inventory of every relic fragment. Custodial attribution does not establish biological identity.
Numbers group nearby places. Select a pin again to cycle through them.
Approximate city pointVatican City, Vatican CityView place
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Natural Earth / NASA Blue Marble · Approximate city point · Sources checked 2 October 2026; no live tracking.