Who is who: The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

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In The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, there are total of 13 apparent figures apparent – if we ignore the controversial and sometimes conjured up figures in the painting. Twelve of them are the 12 apostles of Jesus while the central figure is Jesus Christ himself.

The 12 apostles are grouped into the team of 3. Thus, total of 4 groups of Apostles are there. In the second group made of Judas, Peter and John is where the most controversies circles around. It holds the two characters that had radical impacts on Jesus’s life. As everybody knows, Judas was the reason to make this supper of Jesus the last supper.

Here is brief information on each of the characters:

1. Bartholomew 

Born and died: During 1^st Century AD

Attributes: Knife and his flayed skin

Major Miracles:  saving the people of island of Lipari (post death), in WWII the statue of St. Bartholomew weighed only few grams despite the fact it was made of many kilograms of silver (post death)

2. James Minor

Attributes: carpenter’s saw; fuller’s club; book

3. Andrew

Attributes: Old man with long (in the East often untidy) white hair and beard, holding the Gospel Book or scroll, sometimes leaning on a saltire

Born: Early 1st century, Bethsaida

Died: Mid- to late 1st century; Patras, Greece

4. Judas Iscariot – son of Simon Iscariot,

known for: kiss of Judas or betraying Jesus

5. Peter- birth name Simon

Born: Unknown date; Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire

Died: c. AD 64 or 67; Clementine Chapel, Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire

Attributes: Keys of Heaven, pallium, Papal vestments, rooster, man crucified head downwards, vested as an Apostle, holding a book or scroll. Iconographically, he is depicted with a bushy white beard and white hair.

6. John

         Born: c. 6 AD;  Galilee, Roman Empire

Died: c. 100; Ephesus, Asia Minor, Roman Empire

Attributes: Book, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle

7. Jesus Christ

8. Thomas

Born: 1st century AD; Galilee (modern-day Israel)

Died: 21 December 72; Mylapore (India) or Persia

Attributes: The Twin, placing his finger in the side of Christ, spear (means of martyrdom), square (his profession, a builder)

9. James Major

Born: 1st century; Bethsaida, Galilee

Died: 44 AD; Judea

Attributes: Scallop, Pilgrim’s hat

10. Philip

Born: Bethsaida, Galilee, Roman Empire

Died: c. 80, Hierapolis, Anatolia, Roman Empire

Attributes: Elderly bearded saint and open to God man, holding a basket of loaves and a Tau cross

11. Matthew

Born: Around 1st century

Attributes: Angel

12. Thaddeus

Born: c. 1st Century AD

Died: c. 2nd Century AD

13. Simon

Born: Cana or Canaan

Died: ~65 or ~107; place of death disputed. Possibly pella, Armenia; Suanir, Persia; Edessa, Caistor; May 10 (Coptic Church)

Attributes: boat; cross and saw; fish (or two fishes); lance;man being sawn in two longitudinally; oar

(Source: Wikipedia)