Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
When Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended into heaven, there were eleven disciples remaining from the original twelve. Judas, you recall, hung himself in remorse for betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
The three inner circle disciples were (1)Peter, (2)James, and (3)John. James and John were brothers.
(4)Simon the Zealot and (5)Matthew the tax collector make an odd pairing. Simon would have been a terrorist seeking Judah's independence. Matthew collected taxes for the hated Romans who were occupying the nation of Judah.
There was (6)Nathaniel (also called Bartholomew). Peter's brother (7)Andrew was the quiet one. (8)Thomas was a twin whose Easter witness assures for us that it was Jesus himself who rose from the dead and appeared to him.
Another (9)James (the lesser), (10)Philip, and (11)Thaddaeus (also called Jude) complete the eleven.
Tradition has these disciples go throughout the world, proclaim the Gospel, and all but one die a martyr's death.
John would die a natural death, the only disciple to do so. He was exiled on the island of Patmos, wrote a Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation. He was believed to live to be 100 years old. His mission activity was mainly in Asia Minor (present day Turkey).
Peter was crucified upside down. He believed he didn't deserve to die as his Lord did. It is believed he died in Rome. It is doubtful he founded the church in Rome as Paul writes to a mature group of Christians in his letter but makes no mention of Peter. He was also known as Simon or Simon Peter. He evangelized among the Jews, going as far as Babylon.
James, John's brother, was head of the church at Jerusalem until he was beheaded by Herod.
Andrew, Peter's brother, also believed he should not die like his Lord. He was crucified in an "X." He mainly proclaimed the Gospel in Greece and Asia Minor. Andrew was originally a disciple of John the Baptizer.
Philip preached in Phrygia and died a martyr at Hieropolis.
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) was a missionary to Armenia where he was beaten to death.
Thomas (Didymus) shared the Gospel in Parthia, Persia (Iran today), and India. He was martyred at Mt. St. Thomas.
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