Saint andrew when was he born

After the death of Jesus, Andrew preached across the lands surrounding the Black Sea and is traditionally believed to have been the first Bishop of Byzantium.

He is also believed to have been crucified at Patras in Greece on an X-shaped cross which has since come to be called St Andrew's cross and which forms the basis of the Flag of Scotland, the Saltire. His preaching helps explain why he became the patron saint of Russia and of Romania: but why Scotland?

It describes Jesus using a boat, believed to be solely Simon's, to preach to the multitudes and catch a large amount of fish on a night that originally was dry. Later, in Luke , it mentions Simon was not the only fisherman on the boat, but it is not until Luke that there is talk of Andrew being Simon Peter's brother. However, the Gospel of John tells a separate story, stating Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.

Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels, but it is believed Andrew was one of the closer disciples to Jesus. It was he who told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes, according to John When Philip wanted to speak to Jesus about Greeks seeking him, he spoke to Andrew first. Andrew was also present at the last supper.

Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Patras. He was bound, rather than nailed, to a cross, as is described in the Acts of Andrew. He was crucified on a cross form known as "crux decussata," which is an X-shaped cross or a "saltire. Andrew's Cross. Andrew's remains were originally preserved at Patras. However, some believe St.

Regulus, who was a monk at Patras, received a vision telling him to hide some of Andrew's bones. Andrew was a fisherman before he and his brother Simon Peter became two of the 12 disciples of Jesus. He was baptised by John the Baptist and was the first disciple of Jesus.

He was tied to an X-shaped cross in Greece, and this is represented by the white cross on the Scottish flag, the Saltire, since at least In , the Archbishop of Amalfi sent an apparent piece of the saint's shoulder blade to Scotland, where it has since been stored in St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh. The patron saint was born in Bethsaida, in Galilee, which is now Israel. Whilst it is not certain where Andrew actually preached — Scythia, Thrace and Asia Minor have all been mentioned — it appears he traveled great distances in order to spread the word, and it may be this which links him with Scotland.

This town is now called St Andrews , and the church became a centre for evangelism, and pilgrims came from all over Britain to pray there.

Another ancient legend recalls how it was after the death of Andrew, sometime in the 4th century, that several of his relics where brought to Fife by Rule, a native of Patras.

Whichever legend is closer to the truth we are unlikely to ever unravel, however it is these links that explain why Andrew is now the Patron Saint of Scotland. Churches were dedicated to him from early times throughout Italy and France as well as in Anglo Saxon England , where Hexham and Rochester were the earliest of medieval dedications. Andrew has also been remembered down through the ages for the way he met his terrible death in A.