The liberation of the apostle Peter is an event described in chapter 12 of the Acts of the Apostles, where the apostle Peter is rescued from prison by an angel. Although described in a short textual passage, the tale has given rise to theological discussions and has been the subject of a number of artworks.
Apostle Peter Released from Prison, Jacopo di Cione, 1370–1371 (Philadelphia Museum of Art)
Antonio de Bellis, The Liberation of St. Peter, early 1640s
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Liberation of St. Peter, 1665–1667
The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, the parish church of the Tower of London.
Acts 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the death of the first apostle, James, son of Zebedee, followed by the miraculous escape of Peter from prison, the death of Herod Agrippa I, and the early ministry of Barnabas and Paul of Tarsus. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.
Acts 11:29–12:2 on the recto side of Uncial 0244 (Gregory-Aland) from the 5th century.
Acts 12:3–5 on the verso side of Uncial 0244 (Gregory-Aland) from the 5th century.
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Liberation of St. Peter
Antonio de Bellis, The Liberation of St. Peter.