Saint Apostle Alphaeus
of the Seventy.

The Holy Apostle Alphaeus of the Seventy came from the Galilean city of Capernaum, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee that became a major center of the Lord's ministry and early apostolic activity. Beyond his identification as the father of James and Matthew, Scripture provides no detailed account of Alphaeus's early life or family background. His name appears in several Gospel lists of the apostolic circle, though the historical records concerning him are sparse and overlaid with later traditions.

He was the father of the Apostle James and the Apostle Matthew, two of the Twelve Great Apostles. The Seventy Apostles are those whom the Lord chose (described in Luke 10:1-16) in addition to the Twelve and sent forth to assist in the work of preaching. By his inclusion among the Seventy, Alphaeus himself shared in the apostolic mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. That Alphaeus is commemorated as an Apostle tells us that he worked with the other Apostles in spreading the gospel of Christ, though we have no details of this.

According to Tradition, the Holy Martyrs Abercius and Helen were children of the holy Apostle Alphaeus. For confessing his faith in Christ, Saint Abercius was tied naked to a beehive and died from the bees' sting. For confessing her faith in Christ, Saint Helen was pelted with stones.

According to the Synaxarion of Constantinople he is said to have reposed in peace, though in iconography he is depicted as being bound to a cross and shot through with arrows, thus dying as a martyr, and deepening the mystery of the identity of the Apostle Alphaeus. This tension between the synaxarion account and later iconographic tradition underscores the historical ambiguity surrounding the precise identity and manner of his repose.

Apostle Alphaeus is remembered in the Eastern Orthodox tradition as one of the Seventy chosen by Christ and as a faithful father whose sons became apostles of the Twelve. His commemoration on May 26 alongside Apostle Carpus keeps alive the memory of the early apostolic mission. His feast day is on May 26.

The Church venerates not only the Apostle Alphaeus but also his martyred children, Abercius and Helen, whose faithfulness unto death is celebrated as a family legacy of apostolic dedication. Though historical details remain sparse, the veneration of this family in the liturgical tradition of the Church demonstrates the importance of faithfulness across generations in the apostolic witness to Christ.

The Apostle Alphaeus is commemorated among the Seventy Apostles of Christ. The Holy Apostle Alphaeus of the Seventy came from the Galilean city of Capernaum and was the father of the Apostles James and Matthew. St. Alphaeus is referenced in the Gospels of Matthew (10:3), Mark (3:18), and Luke (6:15), along with a mention in the Acts of the Apostles (1:13).

The identity and biography of Apostle Alphaeus involve considerable scholarly complexity. Alphaeus is sometimes identified with Cleopas, based on the identification from parallel Gospel accounts of Mary the mother of James who was the third woman with Mary Magdalene and Salome wife of Zebedee beside the cross in Matthew, with Mary the wife of Cleopas who was the third woman in John's account. However, though both Matthew and James are described as being the "son of Alphaeus" there is no Biblical account of the two being called brothers, in the same context where John and James or Peter and Andrew are described as being brothers.

According to Tradition, the Holy Martyrs Abercius and Helen were children of the holy Apostle Alphaeus. For confessing his faith in Christ, Saint Abercius was tied naked to a beehive and died from the bees' sting. For confessing her faith in Christ, Saint Helen was pelted with stones.

That Alphaeus is commemorated as an Apostle tells us that he worked with the other Apostles in spreading the gospel of Christ, though we have no details of this. According to the Synaxarion of Constantinople he is said to have reposed in peace, though in iconography he is depicted as being bound to a cross and shot through with arrows, thus dying as a martyr, and deepening the mystery of the identity of the Apostle Alphaeus.