Up to the attempt of Herod Agrippa I. to put him out of the way, i.e. near 44 A.D., or for about 15 years (cf. Acts xii. 3 sqq.), it is probable that Peter made his headquarters in. Jerusalem. Be was the one member of the Apostolic band whom Paul, three years after his conversion (37 or 38 A.D.), went to Jerusalem to consult (ef. Gal. i. IS). Paul was with Peter 15 days. and in that time was doubtless given a full account of the earthly career of Jesus as complete as Peter's memory allowed. This notice from Paul's own letter is weighty evi4nce as to Peter's influen tial position in primitive Christian circles.
After his eseape from Herod he left Jerusalem. We know nothing more of him until the time of the Council of Jerusalem (49 A.D.). Here lie urged a liberal attitude toward Gentile Chris thins. With James and John be gave Paul and Barnahas the right hand of fellowship. Soon after this he seems to have visited Antioch (Gal. ii. 11 sqq.), and, true to his principles, fellow shiped heartily with the Gentile members of the Church there, making no distinction between them and himself. Bnt when overzealous emis saries from James of Jerusalem came to Antioch and insisted that the two classes should not eat together Peter vacillated, and weakly submitted to their dictation. This brought forth a sharp and well-deserved public rebuke from Paul ((Gal. ii. 14 sqq.). There is no reason to suppose that this resulted in any lasting personal animosity betwen the two. Of Peter's further career we possess almost no information. It is probable that he was occupied in missionary labors, main ly among Jewish communities, in accordance with the agreement noted in Gal. ii. 9. On his journeys he was accompanied by his wife (I. Cor. ix. 5). If the word 'Babylon' (1. Peter v. 13) is to be taken literally, he must have la bored mainly in Eastern Syria and the Tigris Euphrates Valley. But 'Babylon' may be only another name for Rome. In 1. Cor. i. 12 (written about 55 A.D.) reference is .made to a 'Ccphas' party in the Corinthian Church. But this does not imply necessarily that Peter had personally visited Corinth. On the other hand, the absence of any reference to him in Paul's letter to the Roman Church (of about the same date) does not make it certain that Peter had not been or was not then or soon after in Rome. The Apos
tles did not promptly inform each other of their respective movements. The view that Peter wrote 1. Peter at Rome about 54 A.D. to Jewish and other Christian communities of Asia Minor has no decisive evidence against it: and of the corresponding view that 11. Peter was likewise sent from the same city, but at least ten years later and to a different circle, the same may be said. The whole matter of Peter's presence in Rome at any time rests, it must be admitted, on a very insecure foundation. There is no posi tive evidence to that effect in the New Testament, and the earliest notice of Peter in early Chris tian literature (1. Clement v.) is equally inde cisive. The next earliest notice (Ignatius, lip. ad Rom., IV. 3), about 110 A.D., is almost as vague. Later writers (Justin Martyr is a no table exception) generally represent Peter as having labored long and suffered martyrdom in Rome. \Vhile obviously unhistorical legends, such as those relating to his controversy with Simon Magus, have grown up in order to fill out a complete story, his residence in Rome for a longer or shorter period is usually accepted, not only by Roman Catholics, but by Protestant scholars of high rank. That he was martyred under Nero about the year 64 is probable, though not certain. Tradition relates that lie met his death by crucifixion, but at his own request with his head downward, counting himself unworthy to suffer exactly in the same way as his 'Master. Roman Catholics reckon St. Peter as the first Bishop of Rome and the first Pope. Con sult the works referred to under PETER, EPIS TLES Or, especially the extensive bibliography by Chase in the Hastings Dictionary of the Bible; also Lightfoot, "Saint Paul and the Three," in his Commentary on Galatians (London, 1865) ; id., 7'he Apostolic. Fathers, Part I., Clement of Rome (ib.. 1890) ; Lipsius. Die a po ryphen postelgeschich ten (Brunswick, 18S7) Schmid, Pei pus in Boni (Lucerne, IS92) ; Felten, Die postelycsehichic (Freiburg, 1892) ; Fouard, Saint Peter (London, 1892).