A priest's son, from the city of Sarir. He prophesied in Babylon, where he spent 27 years in captivity. A contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied in Jerusalem. Both were tortured by unfaithful Jews. At the river Chebar, he saw the heavens open and 4 animals like molten copper: one had a human face (signifying the Lord incarnate as a man), the second a lion's (the Divinity of the Lord), the third a calf's (the sacrifice of the Lord) and the fourth an eagle's (the resurrection and ascension of the Lord). He was also shown an image of the resurrection of the dead, and the destruction of Jerusalem when all suffered from the wrath of God except those marked with the Greek sign "tau" (like a cross). The Jews tied him to the tails of horses and tore him apart. He was buried in the same tomb as Noah's son Shem.

Venerable Simeon and John.