One of the apostles; mentioned only in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13. Some writers identify him with the Nathanael of John 1:45 et seq., 21:2, but on insufficient grounds. He is mentioned by Eusebius ("Church History," 5:3,10) as having preached the Gospel in India (which name included Arabia Felix). According to other legends he suffered martyrdom (Assemani, "Bibl. Orientalis," 3:2,20; see also Lipsius, "Apocryphe Apostelgeschichten," 2:2,54-108). In Coptic Gnostic literature he is often mentioned (see Carl Schmidt, "Gnostische Schriften in Koptischer Sprache," 1892, p. 451).