Aristobulus

Aristobulus (Greek: Ἀριστόβουλος, Welsh: Arwystli) is identified in Church tradition as one of the Seventy Apostles whom Jesus appointed and sent out two by two, as described in the Gospel of Luke. According to a list of these apostles attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235), Aristobulus was consecrated as the first bishop of Britain.

Apostolic Mission

There are several conflicting narratives about Aristobulus' life before he went to Britain. Some identify Aristobulus as the brother of the apostle Barnabas, a Cypriot Levite, who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their missionary travels. Serenus de Cressy (d. 1674) further elaborates on this tradition, relating that Aristobulus was ordained as a bishop by Paul and dispatched to Britain around AD 60 during Paul's imprisonment in Rome, possibly traveling via Gaul or directly across the Channel to reach the province amid its Roman occupation. Some identify him with Zebedee, the father of the Apostles James and John. Others say that he was the father-in-law of the Apostle Peter. Most of these traditions are unreliable, however.

As the inaugural bishop of the British Isles, Aristobulus is traditionally credited with laying the foundations for Christianity in the region. Others, however, attribute this deed to Joseph of Arimathea. According to some, Aristobulus preached the Gospel amid hostility from pagan inhabitants, converting numerous individuals and establishing early Christian communities by founding churches and ordaining priests and deacons to sustain the faith. Yet others attribute these deeds to Faganus and Duvanus, missionaries to King Lucius.

Traditions regarding Aristobulus' death diverge: some accounts portray a peaceful repose in Britain after enduring torments from pagans, while other sources portray a martyrdom in Wales. De Cressy records his natural death at Glastonbury Abbey around AD 99, but Michael Alford says that Aristobulus was the husband of Mary Salome, which makes this date appear too late. Alford gives his death as "the second year of Nero", i.e. AD 56. Alford also asserts that "It is perfectly certain that, before St. Paul had come to Rome, Aristobulus was away in Britain".

Possible reference in the New Testament

The sole direct reference to a person named Aristobulus in the New Testament appears in Romans 16:10, where the Apostle Paul instructs: "Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household." This greeting follows immediately after a commendation of Apelles as one "approved in Christ" and precedes salutations to Herodion and the household of Narcissus. Scholars generally interpret this phrase as addressing the household or dependents of Aristobulus rather than the individual himself, noting that Paul does not extend a direct greeting to Aristobulus personally, which suggests he may not have been a Christian convert at the time of writing. Alternative interpretations propose that "the family of Aristobulus" could denote a distinct Christian group associated with him, though the majority consensus favors the household reading based on parallel greetings in the chapter, such as those to the households of Prisca and Aquila or Asyncritus.

Possible relation to Aristobulus of Chalcis

Aristobulus of Chalcis was the son of Herod of Chalcis and Mariamne, the daughter of Olympias. He married Salome, the daughter of Herod II and Herodias, after the death of her first husband, Philip the Tetrarch. They had three sons: Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus. Lionel Smithett Lewis maintains that this latter Aristobulus could have been the apostle Aristobulus.