The deaths of Jesus' disciples (the twelve apostles) are mostly known through church tradition rather than detailed biblical accounts, with only two deaths explicitly mentioned in the Bible:
- James, son of Zebedee : He was the first apostle martyred, executed by King Herod Agrippa I with the sword, likely beheading (Acts 12:1-2)
- Judas Iscariot : He died by suicide shortly after betraying Jesus
For the others, tradition and early church writings provide various accounts, though these are not uniform or always historically verified:
- Peter : Crucified upside down in Rome under Emperor Nero around 64 AD, as he felt unworthy to die the same way as Jesus
- Paul (not one of the original twelve but an apostle): Beheaded in Rome during Nero's persecution around 66 AD
- John : The only apostle believed to have died a natural death, after surviving persecution including being boiled in oil and exiled to Patmos, where he wrote Revelation
- Andrew : Crucified on an X-shaped cross in Greece after being severely whipped
- Thomas : Martyred in India, reportedly stabbed with a spear during missionary work
- Matthew : Martyred in Ethiopia, possibly by sword; accounts vary with some traditions saying he was burned, stoned, or beheaded
- James, son of Alphaeus : Tradition says he was stoned and clubbed to death in Jerusalem or crucified in Egypt
- Jude (Thaddaeus) : Tradition holds he was martyred, possibly by being clubbed to death, with legends describing dramatic events surrounding his death
- Bartholomew : Said to have been flayed alive and then beheaded in Armenia
- Simon the Zealot : Traditions vary, but he is believed to have been martyred, possibly at an old age
- Matthias (who replaced Judas Iscariot): Said to have been stoned and beheaded
These accounts emphasize that most apostles died as martyrs, willing to suffer and die for their faith, which is considered strong evidence of their genuine belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ
. In summary, while exact details vary and are often based on tradition, the common theme is that nearly all the disciples faced martyrdom except John, who died peacefully
