ALEXANDER, Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint, Martyr. - Educated at the school of Alexandria, he was a disciple of Pantaenus and of Clement and a faithful friend of Origen. In the early years of the 3rd century he was bishop of a city in Cappadocia whose name is unknown; during the persecution of Septimius Severus he was imprisoned and remained there until 211. The following year he became coadjutor and shortly afterwards successor (the first case of its kind) to the aged bishop of Jerusalem Narcissus. He died in the prison of Caesarea, a victim of the persecution of Decius, in 250. A. is particularly noted for the founding of the ecclesiastical library at Jerusalem (consulted by Eusebius for his Church History); and he has the merit of having protected the great Origen after the condemnation passed upon him by Demetrius, bishop of Alexandria. Eusebius has preserved for us extracts from four of his letters. The Roman Martyrology commemorates him, it seems, twice: on 30 January and on 18 March.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: Eusebius, Hist. eccl., VI, 8, 11, 14, 19, 30, 46; Jerome, De viris illustr. 62; Acta SS. Martii, II, Paris 1865 pp. 613-16; Martyr. Romanum, pp. 41, 102; L. Duchesne, Histoire ancienne de l'Eglise, I, Paris 1908, pp. 433 ff., 458 ff.; O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der uhrkirchlichen Literatur, II, 2nd ed., Freiburg im Br. 1914, pp. 271-73.

Cesario van Hulst

@incollection{ec1_alessandro_vescovo_di_gerusale, author = {van, Hulst Cesario}, title = {Alessandro, vescovo di gerusalemme, santo, martire}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {783--784}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/alessandro-vescovo-di-gerusalemme-santo-martire} }

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Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint, Martyr

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