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Simon a Cyrenian
"Simon of
Cyrene." A Hellenistic Jew, born at Cyrene, on the N coast of Africa, who was
present at
Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion of
Jesus, either as an attendant at the feast (Acts 2:10) or as one of the numerous
settlers at Jerusalem from that place (6:9).
Meeting the procession that conducted Jesus to
Golgotha as he was returning from the country, he was pressed into service to bear the
cross (Mt. 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26) when Jesus Himself was unable to bear it any
longer.
Mark describes him as the father of Alexander and Rufus, perhaps because this
was the Rufus known to the Roman Christians (Rom 16:13), for whom he more
specifically wrote.
Certain Gnostics believed that Simon suffered in the place of Jesus.