Aristobulus of Britannia

Full title in various languages

Traditions

Pseudo-Hippolytus lists "Aristobulus, bishop of Britain" among the seventy disciples.

Aristobulus may be mentioned in the New Testament in the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 16:10: "...Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household") although this may mean members of the household of the late Aristobulus IV. According to Lionel Smithett Lewis, the writings of St Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre AD 303, assert that he is the one saluted by Paul in the Epistle to the Romans.

Orthodox tradition

Orthodox tradition says he was the brother of the Apostle Barnabas, of Jewish Cypriot origin. Like Barnabas, he accompanied Saint Paul on his journeys. He was one of the assistants of Saint Andrew, along with Urban of Macedonia, Stachys, Ampliatus, Apelles of Heraklion and Narcissus of Athens. On his missionary journey to Britain, he stopped to preach to the Celtiberians of northern Hispania. Catholic tradition identifies Aristobulus with Zebedee, father of James and John.

Aristobulus preached and died in Roman Britain. While some orthodox traditions say he "died in peace", others say he was martyred in Wales. Catholic tradition says he was martyred. The Benedictine monk Serenus de Cressy (1605–1674) maintained that Aristobulus was ordained by St. Paul and died at Glastonbury Abbey in 99 AD; but Michael Alford (author of Fides Regia Britannica Sive Annales Ecclesiae Britannicae) says that Aristobulus was the husband of "Mary" Salome, which makes this date appear too late. Alford gives his death as "the second year of Nero" – 56 AD. Alford also asserts that "It is perfectly certain that, before St Paul had come to Rome, Aristobulus was away in Britain". This is in accord with the date given by Gildas the Wise (c. 500–570 AD) that the "Light of Christ" shone in Britain in the last year of Emperor Tiberius. However, George Smith points out that this a misinterpretation of Gildas, and says that the Gospel was not preached in Britain before the reign of Claudius, whose full name was Tiberius Claudius Caesar.

British tradition

From these traditions it seems that Aristobulus was the founder of British Christianity (probably at Glastonbury). While Joseph of Arimathea or members of his group may have been involved, the early writings frequently centre on Aristobulus. However, there is no mention of Joseph prior to the Conquest. For this and other reasons, Smith considers the account of Joseph of Arimathea little more than a "superstitious fable of comparatively modern invention".

John Williams identifies Aristobulus with Arwystli Hen, a "man of Italy", and one of four missionaries believed to have brought Christianity to the British Isles. There is a tradition linking him to one of the medieval Welsh saints Arwstyl ap Cunedda. The title "Arwystli Hen" may have originated through a later British tradition.

Herodian parallels

Aristobulus of Chalcis was the son of Herod of Chalcis and Mariamme, the daughter of Olympias. He married Salome, the daughter of Herod II and Herodias. They had three sons: Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus. Lionel Smithett Lewis maintains that this latter Aristobulus could have been the Aristobulus of Britannia, and referred to by Cressy. However, it is this man's father who was the husband of Salome, as mentioned by Alford (see previous section).

In 55 AD, Nero appointed Aristobulus of Chalcis as King of Armenia Minor. He participated with his forces in the Roman–Parthian War of 58–63, where he received a small portion of Armenia in exchange, an area he continued to rule until 72 AD when Vespasian reduced the regional autonomy of some of the provinces.

It is probable that the "Philip" (mentioned above) are those mentioned in the New Testament are Philip the Tetrarch. The matter is disputed by scholars. There is no contemporary evidence for Philip the Tetrarch's use of the name "Herod Philip" as a dynastic title, as did occur with his brothers Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus, yet he was of the same family and the scriptural reference may be emphasising this fact, as do later scriptural commentators. Today, Herod II is sometimes called "Herod Philip I" (because the gospels call the husband of Herodias "Philip"), and then Philip the Tetrarch is called "Herod Philip II", but this is an anachronistic convention. Kokkinos says, "The stubborn existence of many theologians in referring to Herod III as 'Herod Philip' is without any value...No illusory Herod Philip ever existed."^{[p 223-233]; [266]} Philip the Tetrarch, "unlike his brothers, did not use Herod as a dynastic name." Philip's half-brothers, Archelaus and Antipas, had adopted the name of Herod, "presumably" for a dynastic claim from Herod the Great.

Commemorations

In the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, Aristobulus' personal feast day is 15 March. He is also one of the saints commemorated on 4 January (feast of the Seventy Disciples) and on 31 October (feast of the assistants of Saint Andrew).

In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, his feast is 15 March.