Petrus Romanus and the Usurpation of the Redeemed Firstborn
1. Introduction: The Myth and the Misreading
The so-called Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to “St. Malachy” in the 12th century, predicts a final pope named Petrus Romanus—Peter the Roman—who will reign during the destruction of Rome and the Last Judgment. Although widely dismissed by scholars as a medieval forgery, this prophecy continues to captivate apocalyptic imaginations.
The so-called Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to “St. Malachy” in the 12th century, predicts a final pope named Petrus Romanus—Peter the Roman—who will reign during the destruction of Rome and the Last Judgment. Although widely dismissed by scholars as a medieval forgery, this prophecy continues to captivate apocalyptic imaginations.
But what if there’s something deeper beneath the sensationalism? What if Petrus Romanus is not a prediction of the end, but a symbol—an echo of an older conflict that began not in the Vatican, but in Jerusalem? The usurped name of “Peter” holds covenantal significance. It was never Roman to begin with.
This article offers a critique of the Petrus Romanus myth—not by parsing the papal prophecy, but by recovering the first-century story behind the name. Peter (Shimon Kepha) was not the prototype of a pope, but a redeemed firstborn within Israel. His name, role, and calling must be reclaimed—not as an ecclesiastical title, but as a covenantal symbol. For Peter is the Petter Chamor—the redeemed donkey of Exodus 13:13—and Petrus Romanus is a counterfeit throne draped in borrowed holiness.
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2. The Redeemed Donkey and the Firstborn Son
The Torah commands:
The Torah commands:
“Every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck…” (Exodus 13:13).
To modern ears, this sounds obscure. But within Jewish tradition, the donkey symbolizes the nations—or more precisely, Israel’s exile among the nations. The donkey is unclean, yet essential. The Petter Chamor teaches that even what seems outside the covenant can be redeemed—if brought under the mercy of the lamb.
This is where the name Peter becomes revelatory. Jesus calls Shimon “Kepha” (Aramaic for “rock”) in Matthew 16:18. But this is not just a pun on strength—it is a covenantal transfer. Peter becomes the first among equals: the first to confess, the first to fall, and the first to be restored. He is the redeemed donkey—the firstborn who must be saved by grace.
This symbolism deepens in light of Zechariah 9:9, where the Messiah enters Jerusalem lowly, riding on a donkey. Rabbinic texts associate this with Messiah ben Joseph, the suffering redeemer. Peter embodies this typology. He is not a throne-builder, but a burden-bearer. His role is not imperial, but redemptive. He carries the nations not in power, but in repentance.
The Hebrew פטר (petter) means “firstborn,” or more precisely “one who opens the womb” (from Peter Rechem).
Kepha (כיפא, “rock”) is his Aramaic name; but Petros (Greek Πέτρος) sounds like a Hellenized play on Petter.
So the term “Petter Chamor” could linguistically resonate as “Peter the Donkey-Redeemer”—or “Firstborn Donkey.”
This might seem humorous—but in rabbinic and midrashic logic, donkeys are not merely animals. They represent:
1. The stubborn, material side of humanity.
2. The non-kosher nations that nevertheless played a role in Israel’s salvation
(Midrash: donkeys carried Egypt’s wealth during the Exodus).
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3. The Triple Simon Tradition: Kepha, Clopas, and Klippa
Three figures named Shimon (Simon) appear in early Jewish-Christian tradition:
Three figures named Shimon (Simon) appear in early Jewish-Christian tradition:
Shimon Kepha (Simon Peter) – the apostle, fisherman, and witness to the resurrection. Restored after denying Jesus, he becomes a pillar in the early Jewish ekklesia or Kahal / Qahal
Shimon Clopas (Cleophas) – a relative of Jesus, possibly the second bishop of Jerusalem. He preserves the Davidic and Levitical household faith, rooted in covenant and kinship.
Shimon Klippa – a symbolic distortion, drawn from rabbinic polemic. The term klippah (קְלִפָּה) in Jewish theology means “shell” or “husk”—a false layer that conceals or corrupts holiness. Klippa Simon represents the imperial distortion of the original Peter.
These three Simons form a theological typology:
Kepha: the redeemed rock - petra or nabateans
Clopas: the household priest.
Klippa: the counterfeit, a parody of the truth.
Kepha: the redeemed rock - petra or nabateans
Clopas: the household priest.
Klippa: the counterfeit, a parody of the truth.
Enter the Roman Triad: Linus, Anacletus, Clement
According to Roman Catholic tradition, the first three bishops of Rome were:
Linus – traditionally the immediate successor to Peter, though historical evidence is scant.
Anacletus (Cletus) – a shadowy figure, often conflated with Linus in early records.
Clement – the most prominent, author of 1 Clement (c. 96 AD), advocating for order and hierarchy—a subtle shift toward Roman centralization.
Clement is sometimes remembered in Jewish traditions as having Jewish origins. Some associate him with a figure named Aviad, perhaps echoing Avi-Ad (“Everlasting Father”) from Isaiah 9:6. Though speculative, it suggests the memory of a Roman leader still bearing Jewish covenantal sensibility.
Yet by Clement’s time, a transformation was underway. The bishop of Rome began asserting authority beyond his city—co-opting the Petrine mantle while the family of Jesus and leaders like Shimon Clopas continued guiding the Jewish body of Messiah in Jerusalem.
From Clopas to Klippa: The Transfer of Power
The name “Peter” was not passed by covenant—it was co-opted by empire. The Roman Church clothed itself in the legacy of Peter while detaching itself from the seed of Israel. What emerged was a klippah—a shell of apostolic faith wrapped in imperial power.
The true Petter Chamor—the humble donkey bearing the nations—was replaced by a throne of red, gold, and law without mercy. Petrus Romanus, in this light, is not a future figure—it is the consummation of a distortion long in motion.
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4. The Alexamenos Graffito and the Donkey King
The earliest known image of Jesus in Roman history is mockery. Etched into a wall near the Palatine Hill (2nd century), the Alexamenos graffito shows a man worshipping a crucified figure with a donkey’s head.
The earliest known image of Jesus in Roman history is mockery. Etched into a wall near the Palatine Hill (2nd century), the Alexamenos graffito shows a man worshipping a crucified figure with a donkey’s head.
Beneath it reads: ALEXAMENOS SEBETON THEON—“Alexamenos worships his god.”
To Romans, the crucified Messiah was absurd — part and parcel of how the empire weaponized Torah (see Paul and the Works of the Law).
To Jewish followers, however, the donkey was sacred. It was the beast of Messiah ben Joseph, the one redeemed by a lamb (Exod 13:13), the sign of God’s gentle reign (Zech 9:9).
The graffito is unintentional prophecy: the donkey and the cross belong together. But Rome mocked what it did not understand. Rather than embracing the redemptive burden, it enthroned Peter and bound the donkey in chains—renaming it Petrus Romanus.
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5. From Peter to Petrus Romanus: The Edomite Usurpation
The shift from Shimon Kepha to Petrus Romanus is not just a change in name—it is a spiritual displacement. It marks the moment when Edom (Rome) claimed to be Israel, and when the priestly-redemptive office of the Jewish firstborn was absorbed into an imperial cult.
The shift from Shimon Kepha to Petrus Romanus is not just a change in name—it is a spiritual displacement. It marks the moment when Edom (Rome) claimed to be Israel, and when the priestly-redemptive office of the Jewish firstborn was absorbed into an imperial cult.
Isaiah 22:22 speaks of the “key of David” given to the faithful steward. Revelation 3:7 applies this to Jesus—not to any successor. Yet Rome claimed these keys while forgetting the cross. The Pope became Peter, but not the Peter of mercy—rather, a Peter of monarchy.
This is the klippa—a counterfeit covering. Petrus Romanus is not a pope to come, but a warning: the throne of Peter has been hollowed out by empire.
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6. The Real Grafting In: Paul and the Olive Tree
Romans 11 reveals Paul’s vision of the Gentile inclusion—not as a replacement, but a grafting in. The olive tree remains Jewish. The wild branches are welcome, but only if they honor the root.
Romans 11 reveals Paul’s vision of the Gentile inclusion—not as a replacement, but a grafting in. The olive tree remains Jewish. The wild branches are welcome, but only if they honor the root.
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches… you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Romans 11:18)
The true Peter supports the root. The false Petrus Romanus seeks to become the root. To reclaim Peter is to reclaim covenantal mercy, not ecclesiastical dominance.
The Petter Chamor—the redeemed donkey—is not a relic. He is a signpost, leading the nations not to Rome, but to Zion.
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7. Conclusion: Beyond the Final Pope
The Petrus Romanus prophecy is not about the end of the world. It is about the exposure of a counterfeit. The final Pope is not an apocalyptic villain, but a symbol of a long-standing usurpation—an institution wrapped in apostolic garb but severed from covenantal reality.
The Petrus Romanus prophecy is not about the end of the world. It is about the exposure of a counterfeit. The final Pope is not an apocalyptic villain, but a symbol of a long-standing usurpation—an institution wrapped in apostolic garb but severed from covenantal reality.
Could this institution be the robbers who inhabited the house in the Bremen Town Musicians?
The future is not about Rome’s fall. It is about Zion’s restoration—and the lifting of the nations toward heaven’s mountain. As Micah declares:
“Though all peoples walk each in the name of his god, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.” (Micah 4:5)
The Roman and also the Eastern Orthodox Church must reckon with its borrowed titles, its usurped keys, and its forgotten root. The figure of Peter must be redeemed—not through ecclesial succession, but through covenantal return. For he is not a throne—but a donkey, redeemed by the Lamb, carrying the nations toward the heavenly mountain of God.
