Saint Andrew The Apostle, (Απόστολος Ανδρέας) hand painted Greek hotsell Orthodox Byzantine icon.

Saint Andrew The Apostle, (Απόστολος Ανδρέας) hand painted Greek Orthodox Byzantine icon, made with gold leaf canvas, on hand carved asymmetric wood.

Saint Andrew the Apostle, called in the Orthodox tradition Protokletos, or the First-called, is the brother of Peter the Apostle. The name “Andrew” (from Greek : “ανδρεία”, Andreia, manhood, or valour), like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the second or third century BC.

He was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen by trade, hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that He will make them “fishers of men”

The Gospel of John teaches that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus.Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and hastened to introduce him to his brother.

Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion at Patras (Patrae) in Achaea. Though early texts, such as the Acts of Andrew known to Gregory of Tours, describe Andrew bound, not nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Christ was crucified, a tradition grew up that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called Crux decussata (X-shaped cross) and commonly known as “Saint Andrew's Cross”; this was performed at his own request, hotsell as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which Christ was crucified.
The Greek Orthodox Church commemorates him on November 30.