Saint Veronica
Christian saint
b. 1st century · d. 1st century
Saint Veronica, also known as Berenike, was a widow from Jerusalem who lived in the 1st century AD, according to extra-biblical Christian traditions. Apocryphal texts relate how Veronica was moved with sympathy seeing Jesus carrying the cross to Calvary and gave him her veil so that he could wipe his forehead. Jesus accepted the offer, and when he returned the veil the image of his face was miraculously captured on it. The resulting relic became known as the Veil of Veronica.
Events
Commemorated
Places
- Caesarea Philippi birth
How we know
A figure the record marks as legend — kept, and marked. Apocrypha of the New Testament (ANF vol. 8) — ANF VIII, Walker's Translator's Introduction XXI, on The Avenging of the Saviour — 'this version of the Legend of Veronica … there are in this document two distinct legends, somewhat clumsily joined together'; and the name itself is a manuscript addition at Acts of Pilate, 1st Greek Form ch. 7
- The Golden Legend 1 claim — Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Glosses
- The saint who never was Some saints are not remembered people at all but accidents that hardened. Delehaye’s examples are concrete and none of them involves anyone lying. A trivial catacomb epitaph, once scholars had no way of telling which…