St. John the Apostle

The "beloved disciple" of the Fourth Gospel — fisherman of Galilee, son of Zebedee, brother of James — leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper, stood at the foot of the cross, and was given Mary as his mother. Tradition has him living long at Ephesus, repeating to the end the simple charge: "Little children, love one another." He alone of the Twelve died of old age.

The Gospel, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation all bear his name, forming a body of writing unmatched among the apostles for theological depth. His prologue — "In the beginning was the Word" — gave Christianity its most exalted language for the mystery of the Incarnation.

Legend holds that he survived being plunged into boiling oil at Rome and was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he received the visions of the Apocalypse. His symbol is the eagle, soaring above the other evangelists into the realm of the divine.