Jude Thaddeus is barely mentioned in the New Testament; the first three Gospels simply mention him in the lists of the Apostles.
He is only referred to once in John, when he is recorded as asking Jesus: "Lord, why is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" (Jn. 14:22) We know from this passage that Jude was present at the Last Supper and is known to have asked Jesus a direct question. We are told nothing else of him before the Ascencion.
Afterwards, Eusebius tells us that he preached in Edessa, a town approximately 400 miles north east of Jerusalem, at the time an important trade hub. From there he is said to have visited Armenia; importantly, the Armenian church has always held that it was founded by Jude.
Around AD66 he is thought to have reunited with Simon the apostle and from there they travelled to preach in Iran/Persia, then ruled by the King Vologases I.
The legend of the Apostolic History of Abidas talks of Simon and Jude converting some sixty thousand people to Christianity in Babylon. Then in AD79 they moved again to the city of Suanir. Here, the Magi (Holy Men) persuaded the local rulers to force Simon & Jude to make a sacrifice to the local deities. Instead Simon and Jude forced demons to leave the temple, enraging the Magi who stirred up a mob to pelt the two with stones and then murder them.
Jude is represented by a club because he was martyred with a club by the mob.
According to tradition, Jude is buried in Rome.
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