Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist | |
|---|---|
 A Folio of Saint Luke, from the Lorsch Gospels depicting him with the traditional attribute of an angelic Ox behind him | |
| Apostle, Evangelist, Martyr, and Doctor | |
| Born | Between 1 AD and 16 AD Antioch, Roman Syria |
| Died | Between 84 AD and 100 AD (traditionally aged 84) Thebes, Achaea, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | All Christian denominations that venerate saints, and in the Druze faith |
| Major shrine | Padua, Italy |
| Feast | |
| Attributes | Evangelist, Medical Doctor, Health professional, man with a book or a pen, accompanied by a winged ox or calf, painting an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a brush or a palette |
| Patronage | Artists, notaries, bachelors, physicians, goldsmiths, butchers, brewers, glass workers, and others |
| Major works | Gospel of Luke, Acts of the Apostles |
Luke of Antioch | |
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 | |
| Occupations | Christian missionary and Historian |
| Writing career | |
| Language | Koine Greek |
| Notable works | Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles |
Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figures in early Christianity such as Jerome and Eusebius later reaffirmed his authorship. Scholarly opinion on the tradition is roughly evenly divided near the end of the 20th century.
The New Testament mentions Luke briefly a few times, and the Epistle to the Colossians refers to him as a physician (from Greek for 'one who heals'); thus he is thought to have been both a physician and a disciple of Paul.
Since the early years of the faith, Christians have regarded him as a saint. He is believed to have been a martyr, reportedly having been hanged from an olive tree, though some believe otherwise. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic church and other major denominations venerate him as Saint Luke the Evangelist and as a patron saint of artists, physicians, bachelors, notaries, butchers, brewers, and others; his feast day is 18 October. He is also described in the New Testament as a Doctor.