02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

EARLY CHRISTIAN SAINTS AND MARTYRS
said to have been persecuted by the emperor Domitian but
lived on and ended his days at the city of Ephesus in Anatolia,
the ancient name for modern day Turkey.
In religious art St John is commonly depicted holding a
chalice that contains a dragon or a serpent. This image derives
from the story that a high priest of the cult of Diana at
Ephesus challenged St John to drink from a cup containing
poison. He did drink from the cup but survived unharmed
and also resurrected two other men who had been killed by
drinking from the same cup. His other attributes often include
a book, symbolising his role as an evangelist, and an
eagle. The eagle was chosen to represent St John because it
was believed that his gospel soared the highest and was the
most revealing. St John was once also credited with writing
the Book of Revelation when he was staying on the Greek island
of Patmos late in his life but this is now thought to be
doubtful.
St Matthew
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, St Matthew is called by the
name of Levi. He was a tax collector who worked for the
occupying Roman Empire, collecting taxes from the Jews.
This is significant in that tax collectors were regarded as unclean
and were treated with contempt. However, Jesus
shared a meal with Matthew at his house amongst guests who
included other tax collectors. He was criticised for this but
responded by saying that he embraced sinners and offered
them help.
Matthew became one of the apostles and an evangelist.
There are three main traditions about the martyrdom of St
Matthew. One tradition claims that he was killed whilst
preaching in Ethiopia. Another claims his martyrdom took
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