Simon isc Hammispa
Simon is a friend of Judas[1] and probably of the same generation. Simon's father is Elianna. He worked hard to enable his son to enter the Sanhedrin, where he sits among the Pharisees.
Simon is ready to do anything for his career. When his father shows sympathy for Jesus, he abandons him and reduces him to poverty.[2] Elianna is taken in by Jesus and entrusted to an innkeeper in Técua.
Simon sees this as an obstacle to his ambitions: he has his father murdered by a sicarius and covers up the crime.
At the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus encounters the parricide and calls him out:"It is fortunate for you that Lazarus does not remember what he saw during his stay among the dead! What have you done with your father, Cain?"[3]Simon is among the conspirators who gather at the house of Caiphas (Joseph), the High Priest to orchestrate the betrayal of Judas.[4]
He is present at the foot of the cross. It is probably he who throws a stone at the crucified Jesus.[5] During the earthquake that follows the death of Jesus[6], his father appears to him at the opening of the tombWaterx. He goes mad.
The risen Jesus appears to him in all his severity: he announces his condemnation. Elchias confronts him to eliminate this mad witness who has become troublesome and uncontrollable.[7]
His name
Simon, like Simeon (Chimon- Shim'ôn), means "the one who hears." Historical reference: the second son of Jacob who was held hostage by his brother Joseph, who had become the Pharaoh's steward.
Where is he mentioned in the work?
GRM 74
GRM 487
GRM 520 GRM 535 GRM 548
GRM 609 GRM 632
Learn more about this character
Excerpts from the Dictionary of Gospel Characters, According to Maria Valtorta (Msgr. René Laurentin, François-Michel Debroise, Jean-François Lavère, Éditions Salvator, 2012):The story mentions Simon isc Hammispa as a member of the Sanhedrin, but "does not retain anything remarkable about him[8]". And for good reason!Ish designates his origin as Yehuda Ish-Kariot designates Judas of Kerioth or Judas Iscariot.
Miçpa means "watchtower". This explains why several localities bear this name in Palestine. Ham-Miçpa is mentioned in Joshua 15:38 among the southern towns near the Philistine territory. But there are other Micpas in Gilead or Moab.
Notes and references
Note: Quotations from the work of Maria Valtorta on this page currently use machine-translated text and will gradually be replaced by the official English translation. Until then, the official translation may be consulted through the reference link provided with each quotation.