Saint Apostle Zacchaeus
of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea.
Also known as Zacchaeus the Publican, Zacchaeus the Apostle of Caesarea, Zaccheus, Zakchaios, Holy Apostle Zacchaeus
A rich tax collector of Jericho whom Christ called down from a sycamore tree (Luke 19), Zacchaeus later became a companion of Apostle Peter and the first bishop of Caesarea in Palestine.
- Born
- Jericho, Judea (hometown per tradition; birthplace not recorded)
- Feast day
- April 20 (New) · May 3 (Old)
Get a reminder on the feast in Orthodox Daily Companion →
Troparion of St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea
Tone 3
Holy Apostle Zacchaeus,
entreat the merciful God,
to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
The life of St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea From Tax
Collector to First Bishop of Caesarea
Zacchaeus was a wealthy chief tax collector in Jericho whom Christ called down from a sycamore tree. Tradition holds that he became a companion of the Apostle Peter and the first bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. The Church remembers him on April 20.
Early years
The Gospel of Luke presents Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector at Jericho who was rich and was regarded with suspicion by his fellow Jews, who viewed tax collectors as collaborators with Rome. The Gospels record nothing about his family or youth, and the Orthodox tradition does not supply details beyond his occupation and his wealth.
In the Church
After the Ascension, Zacchaeus is said to have accompanied the Apostle Peter on his travels. Tradition says Peter appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and he is counted among the Seventy whom the Lord sent out (Luke 10). The Prologue from Ohrid describes him as a publican and sinner whom the Lord brought to repentance, and who afterward served the Gospel faithfully in Caesarea.
Later years
Orthodox sources state that Zacchaeus served faithfully as bishop of Caesarea and died in peace. Because the early episcopal succession of Caesarea is poorly documented, the historical details of his episcopate cannot be verified beyond the tradition itself. The Church reads his conversion as the model of the restitution that must accompany repentance.
Legacy and veneration
Zacchaeus is commemorated on April 20 in the Orthodox calendar and is named in the collective feast of the Seventy on January 4. The Sunday of Zacchaeus, when Luke 19:1-10 is read, falls in the pre-Lenten cycle and keeps his memory present each year. His conversion is a standard theme for sermons on repentance and almsgiving.
Veneration of St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Tax collectors and publicans who repent, Repentance and restitution, Those of small stature, Caesarea in Palestine.
- Iconography
- Zacchaeus is typically shown as a bearded man holding a sycamore branch, the tree he climbed to see Christ. Icons of him often depict the scene from Luke 19, with the Savior addressing him from the road below the tree. Because the Gospel scene is his defining image, the sycamore is the principal symbol associated with him in Orthodox art, alongside the vestments of an apostle and bishop when he is shown as a hierarch.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea.
- When is the feast day of Apostle Zacchaeus?
- The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy on April 20. He is also remembered in the collective commemoration of the Seventy Apostles on January 4.
- Who was Zacchaeus in the Bible?
- Zacchaeus was a rich chief tax collector at Jericho whom Jesus called down from a sycamore tree, as recorded in Luke 19:1-10. He received Christ into his house and promised to make restitution.
- Was Zacchaeus a bishop?
- Orthodox tradition says Apostle Peter appointed Zacchaeus as the first bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. The historical record for the early bishops of Caesarea is limited.
- Is Apostle Zacchaeus one of the Seventy Apostles?
- Yes. Zacchaeus is counted among the Seventy whom the Lord sent out, and the Church honors that group collectively on January 4.
- Where are the relics of Apostle Zacchaeus?
- No confirmed location of relics for Apostle Zacchaeus was found in the sources consulted for this record.
- What is Apostle Zacchaeus the patron saint of?
- No officially established patronage was confirmed in the consulted sources. He is traditionally associated with repentance and restitution, the themes of his Gospel encounter with Christ.
Kontakion of St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea
Tone 4
When He that bowed the Heavens came to save sinners, Zacchaeus, great in zeal, but little of stature, beheld the Tree of Life from in the sycamore; lifted above the earth, he saw Jesus, Who called him: coming down in lowliness, he repenting, received Him; and so salvation came into his house, and he was shown forth a true son of Abraham.
Prayer to St. Apostle Zacchaeus of the Seventy, Bishop of Caesarea
No prayer specific to Apostle Zacchaeus was confirmed in the sources consulted for this record. The common troparion of the Seventy Apostles, which asks them to entreat God for the forgiveness of our transgressions, is sung on their feast.
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References and further reading
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Apostle_Zacchaeus
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2023/04/20/148976-apostle-zacchaeus
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/2022/04/20/148976-apostle-zacchaeus
- orthodoxtimes.comhttps://orthodoxtimes.com/memory-of-apostle-zacchaeus-20-april/
- vema.com.auhttps://vema.com.au/apostle-zacchaeus-20-april/
- new.orthodox.nethttps://www.new.orthodox.net/menaion-april/20-the-holy-apostle-zacchaeus.html
- holytrinityorthodox.comhttps://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/April/20-09.htm
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Apostles
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/0216/01/04/100017-synaxis-of-the-seventy-apostles
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Caesarea
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacchaeus
- christthesavioroca.orghttps://www.christthesavioroca.org/zacchaeus
- m.facebook.comhttps://m.facebook.com/maltascranton/photos/a.1769206930074305/2533920323602958/?type=3
- religion.fandom.comhttps://religion.fandom.com/wiki/Apostle_Zacchaeus
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_20_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_of_Cyrene
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prochorus_(deacon)
- religion.fandom.comhttps://religion.fandom.com/wiki/Zacchaeus
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacchaeus_of_Jerusalem
- stnicholasoca.orghttps://stnicholasoca.org/files/2026-Bulletins/01-04-2026-Divine-Liturgy---Sunday-Before-Theophany-v2.pdf
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