Bishop Lazarus
The identification of Lazarus of Bethany, the biblical figure raised from the dead by Jesus Christ, as the first Bishop of Marseille is a cornerstone of Provençal Christian identity. According to this tradition, Lazarus, along with his sisters Mary Magdalene and Martha, fled Palestine following the early persecutions of the Church. They reportedly arrived in southern Gaul (modern-day Provence) via a "miraculous boat" without oars or sails. The narrative asserts that Lazarus preached the Gospel to the inhabitants of Marseille, established the first Christian community there, and served as its inaugural bishop until his martyrdom under Nero or Domitian.
Historical analysis reveals that this specific narrative is a relatively late development in Christian literature.
Early Silence: There is no mention of a Gallic mission for Lazarus in the New Testament, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, or the early records of the Church in Gaul, such as those by Gregory of Tours (6th century).
Gervase of Tilbury (1212): The first explicit written link between the biblical Lazarus and the Marseille episcopacy appears in his Otia Imperialia.
Jacobus de Voragine (c. 1260): The legend gained pan-European status through the Legenda Aurea (The Golden Legend). This work standardized the "maritime arrival" narrative, making it a staple of Western medieval devotion.
The primary historical opposition to this claim was formalized in the late 19th century by the French historian Louis Duchesne in his seminal work, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule. Duchesne’s critique centers on a likely case of prosopographical conflation—the accidental merging of two distinct historical figures:
Lazarus of Aix (5th Century): Historical records confirm a Lazarus who was Bishop of Aix-en-Provence, consecrated at Marseille around 407 AD.
The Palestinian Connection: This 5th-century Lazarus spent significant time in Palestine before returning to Marseille to die.
The Synthesis: Duchesne argued that medieval chroniclers, finding the tomb of a "Bishop Lazarus" who had returned from the Holy Land, naturally but erroneously attributed these remains and the office to the biblical Lazarus of Bethany.
The Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille sits atop ancient crypts that have been the focal point of the Lazarus cult for centuries.
The 5th-Century Epitaph: A 5th-century epitaph found in these crypts informs us that a bishop named Lazarus was buried there. Competent archaeologists identify this as the 5th-century Bishop of Aix, not the biblical figure.
Marseille vs. Autun: In approximately 970 AD, the Cathedral of Autun obtained relics from Marseille under the belief they were those of the biblical Lazarus. This led to the construction of the famous Cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun to host the growing crowds of pilgrims.
The Cypriot Alternative: A competing and historically robust tradition places Lazarus's later life in Cyprus, where he served as Bishop of Kition (Larnaca). In 890 AD, a sarcophagus was discovered in Larnaca bearing the inscription: "Lazarus, the Friend of Christ." Human remains found in a marble coffin under the altar in 1972 further support this eastern tradition.
As a matter of strict historiography, the claim remains legendary. While a letter from Pope Benedict IX (1040) confirms the presence of "Lazarus relics" in Marseille, it notably fails to identify him as the city's first bishop or as a 1st-century missionary. The consensus among modern scholars is that it is best categorized as a "venerable tradition."
References
Duchesne, L. (1907). Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule (Vol. 1). Fontemoing.
Gervase of Tilbury. (2002). Otia imperialia: Recreation for an emperor (S. E. Banks & J. W. Binns, Eds. & Trans.). Oxford University Press. (Original work published c. 1212)
Good, A. (2017). Lazarus, the making of a saint: c.1100-1300 [Doctoral dissertation, University College London]. UCL Discovery.
Jacobus de Voragine. (2012). The golden legend: Readings on the saints (W. G. Ryan, Trans.). Princeton University Press. (Original work published c. 1260)
Knight, K. (Ed.). (2020). Marseilles. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New Advent. www.newadvent.org (Original work published 1910)
Knight, K. (Ed.). (2020). St. Lazarus of Bethany. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New Advent. www.newadvent.org (Original work published 1910)