Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary.
The account of his being raised from the dead by Jesus (John 11: 1-44) was the
reason for widespread veneration in Jerusalem and elsewhere.
The New Testament writings say nothing about his life after the Resurrection.
An Eastern tradition relates that he was placed in a leaky boat with his
sisters by the Jews at Jaffa and that they all landed safely at Cyprus, where
Lazarus became bishop and died peacefully thirty years later. His relics were
translated to Constantinople in 890.
There is another famous legend connecting him to France that originated in the
11th century. According to this, Lazarus and his sisters were placed in a boat
without oars or rudder, from which they landed on the south-east of Gaul. They
made many converts at and around Marseilles, where Lazarus became bishop and
was eventually martyred under Domitian (81-96).
It was believed that he was buried in a cave over which the abbey church of St
Victor was later built.
Both the military Order of Knights Hospitallers and many medieval lepers and
leper-hospitals claimed Lazarus as their patron, but this was the fictitious
Lazarus in Christ's parable of Dives and Lazarus recounted by Luke (16: 19-31).
Lazarus feast day is the 17th December.
Written and contributed by Phillip Lloyd.
