No, this is not "The Da Vinci Code" part two. Yeshua really had more than just twelve disciples.
Luke 6:13-16 records the list of the twelve disciples:
- Simon (Peter)
- Andrew
- James
- John
- Philip
- Bartholomew
- Matthew
- Thomas
- James (the son of Alphaeus)
- Simon the Zealot
- Judas (the brother of James)
- Judas Isariot
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While is it common to refer to "the twelve disciples" there were actually more than twelve.
Luke 9:1-6 records that Yeshua sent out the twelve with instructions to preach the kingdom of G-d.
Luke 10 records another seventy who were sent out by Yeshua to preach the kingdom of G-d with the same instructions:
Luke 10:1
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
We know these were disciples because Yeshua tells them "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Luke 10:2). These are the same words found in Matthew 9-
Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
At least three of these other disciples are given names:
- Joseph (called Barsabas and surnamed Justus) (Acts 1:23)
- Matthias (chosen to replace Judas Iscariot in Acts 1:23-26)
- Cleopas (Luke 24:18)
It appears that there were at least 82 disciples although the twelve are mentioned most frequently.
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