Elymas (; ;[ Acts 13] ), also known as Bar-Jesus (,
In the Bible
In Acts 13, Paul the Apostle and
Barnabas travel to the city of
Paphos in
Roman Cyprus, where the Roman
Proconsul,
Sergius Paulus, wishes to hear them speak about
Jesus. Elymas, described as a false prophet and a sorcerer, opposes them, whereupon Paul (who is here referred to for the first time by his
Roman name) announces that God intends to make Elymas temporarily
Blindness. A cloud of darkness immediately begins blocking his sight;
["Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand"; ] after this, Sergius Paulus is converted to Christianity.
["When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord"; ]
According to The Golden Legend, Elymas later stirred up a riot of Jews and pagans in Salamina (Salamis) against Barnabas, resulting in his death.
Name
Acts 13:8 says, "Elymas the
mágos (for so his name is translated) opposed them". "Elymas" is possibly derived from the Arabic
‘alīm "learned" or "wise", and may be used to translate
mágos.
[Ernest Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1971, pg. 398; ] Bar-Jesus means "Son of
Joshua" or "Son of Jesus" in
Aramaic.
Cultural influence
"Elymas the Sorcerer Struck with Blindness" is the title of a famous
Raphael Cartoons by
Raphael, which served as the inspiration for woven tapestries in the
Vatican City.
See also
-
Apollonius of Tyana
-
Jesus of Nazareth
-
John the Baptist
-
Simon Magus
