Cover illus.by: Gail Nobles

Hello. I'm Gail Nobles. Welcome back to Maaps, where we explore the rich connections between faith, history, and culture. Today's topic is Simon of Cyrene.

Simon of Cyrene was a man from a place called Cyrene, which is in North Africa, near what is now Libya. Because Cyrene is in Africa, it's possible that Simon could have been African, and he might have come from a background that included different racial heritages. The Bible doesn't tell us what Simon looked like or the color of his skin, but some people believe he may have been black.

In the Bible, Simon is mentioned as the father of two sons named Alexander and Rufus. You can find this information in the book of Mark, specifically chapter 15, verse 21.

Simon became known for an important act: he was forced by Roman soldiers to carry the cross for Jesus as Jesus was on his way to be crucified. This event is described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

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