St. Jude's Life: Saint Jude is known as Jude Thaddeus (or
Addai), a close relative of Jesus through Mary Cleophas. Luke's
Gospel includes Jude in the list of the 12 apostles (6:16) and
John mentions him also (14:22) as well as Matthew (10:3) and
Mark (3:18) who use the name Thaddeus only, but Jude and
Thaddeus are the same person. According to the legend when King
Agbar V of Edessa desired to be cured of his leprosy he wrote to
Jesus at Jerusalem. With his request he also sent an artist to
paint a picture of Jesus and return to Edessa with it. Impressed
by the king's faith, Jesus pressed his face on a cloth and asked
Jude to take it to the king and to cure him with it. After being
cured, the king and his people became Christians. Because the
image which Jude carried was miraculous it was called "The
Mandylion" and said to be "Akheiropoietos" or the "image-not-
made-by-hands". The Image of Edessa has been linked by history
and legend to other famous images of Jesus Christ, including the
Shroud of Turin and the