Saint Simon the Zealot (Greek : Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης , Coptic: ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲡⲓ-ⲕⲁⲛⲁⲛⲉⲟⲥ, Syriac: ܫܡܥܘܢ ܩܢܢܝܐ ) was one of the 12 apostles called by Christ.
Simon the Zealot is called Kananaios in Matthew 10:4 and Kananites in Mark 3:18, and in the list of of apostles Zelotes (Zealot). Kananaois and Kananites both derive from the Hebrew word קנאי qanai meaning Zealous. In late traditions Saint Simon works alongside Saint Jude as a team to evangazelize. Once he had travelled through Egypt, Saint Simon joined Saint Jude in Persia and Armenia, then to Beirut where both were martyred in 65 AD. The writer of the Latin Passio Simonis et Judae , Lipsius, writes that Saint Simon worked in Persia and was martyred at Suanir. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, however, records that he travelled to Georgia, died in Abkhazia and was buried in Nicopsia with his remains moving later to Anacopia.
Because variations of the tradition write that he was martyred by having his body sawed into pieces, he is often depicted alongside a saw. In the Roman Catholic church he is venerated with Saint Jude together with a feast for October 28th, where as the Greek Orthodox and Coptic Churches celebrate it on May 10th.