Episcopal succession

The Bishops of Jerusalem to AD 400

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James the Just and the fifteen Hebrew bishops “of the circumcision” who followed him, then the Greek line of Aelia Capitolina down to Cyril — the succession of the mother church, and the only one that was broken outright.

20 names, AD 62 to 386

The first fifteen are the Jewish-Christian bishops Eusebius found in an old list and transcribed without dates, saying only that they were short-lived. The archive spaces them evenly across the years between Symeon and the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132–135, after which the Jewish church of Jerusalem ceased and a Gentile line began. Those interior dates are editorial spacing, not evidence.

Ordered by year of death, which is how the whole archive is ordered. For this see that is also the order of succession.

Who were the bishops of Jerusalem before AD 400?

  1. 1 James the Just c. 1 – 62 Brother of Jesus · Bishop of Jerusalem
  2. 2 Symeon, son of Clopas d. c. 107 (crucified under Trajan) Bishop of Jerusalem · Cousin of the Lord · Martyr at 120 years
  3. 3 Justus of Jerusalem fl. c. 108 (death unrecorded) 3rd bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  4. 4 Zacchaeus of Jerusalem fl. c. 112 (death unrecorded) 4th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  5. 5 Tobias of Jerusalem fl. c. 115 (death unrecorded) 5th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  6. 6 Benjamin of Jerusalem fl. c. 117 (death unrecorded) 6th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  7. 7 John of Jerusalem fl. c. 119 (death unrecorded) 7th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  8. 8 Matthias of Jerusalem fl. c. 121 (death unrecorded) 8th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  9. 9 Philip of Jerusalem fl. c. 123 (death unrecorded) 9th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  10. 10 Seneca of Jerusalem fl. c. 125 (death unrecorded) 10th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  11. 11 Justus II of Jerusalem fl. c. 127 (death unrecorded) 11th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  12. 12 Levi of Jerusalem fl. c. 129 (death unrecorded) 12th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  13. 13 Ephres of Jerusalem fl. c. 131 (death unrecorded) 13th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  14. 14 Joseph of Jerusalem fl. c. 132 (death unrecorded) 14th bishop of Jerusalem (of the circumcision)
  15. 15 Judas of Jerusalem until AD 135 15th & last Hebrew bishop of Jerusalem
  16. 16 Narcissus of Jerusalem c. 99 – c. 216 AD (traditionally of extreme old age) Bishop of Jerusalem (Aelia) · Wonder-worker
  17. 17 Alexander of Jerusalem d. c. 251 AD (in prison at Caesarea, Decian persecution) Bishop of Jerusalem · Founder of the Jerusalem library · Martyr
  18. 18 Hymenaeus of Jerusalem d. c. 298 Bishop of Jerusalem
  19. 19 Maximus of Jerusalem d. c. AD 350 Confessor · Bishop of Jerusalem
  20. 20 Cyril of Jerusalem c. 313 – 386 Bishop of Jerusalem · Catechist

Each name links to its profile: the dates, the office, and every primary source that carries the name.

The other sees

All six successions → · All 1,152 figures →