John, the Apostle, son of Zebedee and younger brother of James, was a Galilean fisherman, probably a native of Bethsaida. From Matt. xxvii. 56, compared with Mark, xv. 40, it is probable that his mother was Salome, whom some infer from John, xix. 25, to have been the sister of the mother of Jesus. In the synoptic gospels James and John, like Peter and Andrew, receive their call to the discipleship while engaged in their daily occupation by the sea of Galilee, and the surname 'Sons of Thunder' is conferred on them by the Master. Henceforward John is always mentioned as one of 'the twelve,' and generally figures also as a member of an inner circle of disciples, of which only his brother James and Peter are members besides himself. In the fourth gospel John is not mentioned by name, but ancient as well as modern expositors identify him with the companion of Andrew, who first became acquainted with Jesus at Bethany, beyond Jordan, while he attended John the Baptist as a disciple, and forthwith attached himself to him, Andrew and Peter becoming disciples of Jesus at the same time. John is further identified with the 'other disciple' who in John xiii. 23, xxi. 7, 20 is distinguished as the disciple 'whom Jesus loved.' This expression is usually taken to imply an exceptional sweetness and lovable-ness of character in John; but what we read in the Synoptists shows that, originally at least, he must have been somewhat passionate, narrow, and ambitious. After the ascension of Jesus John seems to have remained in Jerusalem, where he still was when Paul visited that city for the second time after his conversion (Gal. ii. 9). He does not appear to have been there at the time of the last visit of the apostle of the Gentiles, about 58 A.D., and his subsequent history is involved in the greatest obscurity. A chronicler of the 9th century, Georgios Hamartolos, claims to have read in the now no longer extant works of Papias that John was slain by the Jews like his brother James; and that he died a violent death is apparently implied also in a passage from Heracleon preserved by Clement of Alexandria. But general ecclesiastical tradition from the time of Justin (about 150 A.D.) has identified him with the author of the Apocalypse (see REVELATION), and from that of Irenæus (c. 175 A.D.) has represented him as spending the closing years of his ministry at Ephesus, and dying there at an advanced age, after having written not only the Apocalypse but also the Gospel and the three
Epistles which bear his name. The authenticity of this tradition as to his having ever lived in Ephesus has been challenged by many critics, who hold that it rests on a confusion made by Irenæus between John the apostle and a certain John 'the elder' or 'presbyter,' 'a disciple of the Lord,' mentioned by Papias as distinct from the apostle. For the negative view they also urge the silence of the New Testament (Acts, Eph., Pastoral Epp., 1 Pet.), of the Apostolic Fathers, of Justin, and of Hege-sippus, and others. For the literature of the question, see the works mentioned below, under JOHN (GOSPEL ACCORDING TO).