_Cropped.jpg)
Simon the Leper (Greek: Σίμων ὁ λεπρός,Símōn ho leprós) is abiblical figure who lived inBethany, a village inJudaea on the southeastern slope of theMount of Olives. He is mentioned in theGospels according toMatthew[1] andMark.[2] These books tell of howJesus made a visit to the house of Simon the Leper atBethany during the course of which a woman anoints the head of Jesus with costly ointment. Bethany was also the home ofMary,Martha, andLazarus.
The Gospel according toJohn[3] recounts an episode with many similarities. John reports that Jesus attended a dinner where Lazarus reclined at the table with Jesus, and where Martha served the guests. According to John's Gospel,[4] Jesus arrived in Bethany six days beforePassover, and while there, a dinner was given in His honor. John does not say when or by whom this dinner was given. According to John's Gospel, Mary anointed Jesus' feet.[5] Matthew and John report thatJudas Iscariot and otherdisciples of Jesus were in attendance and protested the costly anointing of Jesus.
Simon the Leper is sometimes identified withSimon the Pharisee (seeShimon ben Gamliel), who is mentioned in theGospel of Luke[6] as the host of a meal during which the feet of Jesus are anointed by a penitent woman.[7] Because of some similarities, efforts have been made to reconcile the events and characters, but some scholars have pointed out differences between the two events.[8] An alternative explanation for the similarities is that theLuke 7 anointing and the anointing at Bethany[9][10][11] happened with some of the same participants, but several years apart.[12]
Simon the Leper is also sometimes identified as the same person as Lazarus of Bethany, or identified as his father or brother.[citation needed] This is because Matthew and Mark mention Simon, while John mentions Lazarus, but all four gospels assume one lodging at Bethany during the last week.Abbé Drioux identified all three as one: Lazarus of Bethany, Simon the Leper of Bethany, and theLazarus of the parable, on the basis that in the parable Lazarus is depicted as a leper, and due to a perceived coincidence betweenLuke 22:2 andJohn 12:10—where after the raising of Lazarus,Caiaphas andAnnas tried to have him killed.[13]
A medieval legend identifies Simon with BishopJulian of Le Mans, despite the fact that Julian lived much later.[14]