Cleopas (or Cleophas) was a figure of early Christianity, one of the two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
His name is an abbreviated form of Cleopatros, a common Hellenistic name meaning "son of a renowned father". Cleopas is remembered on 25th November in the Martyrology of the Roman Catholic Church.
He appears in Luke 24:13-27 as one of two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Cleopas is named in verse 18, while his companion remains unnamed.
This occurs two days after the crucifixion, on the day of Jesus' resurrection. The two have heard the tomb of Jesus was found empty earlier that day. They are discussing the events of the past few days when a stranger asks them what they are discussing. "Their eyes were kept from recognizing him." He soon rebukes them for their unbelief and gives them a Bible study on prophecies about the Messiah. They ask the stranger to join them for the evening meal. When he breaks the bread "their eyes were opened" and they recognize him as the resurrected Jesus. Jesus immediately vanishes.
Cleopas and his friend hasten back to Jerusalem to carry the news to the other disciples, and learn Jesus has also appeared to them as well. A similar event is mentioned in the longer ending of Mark: the incident is without parallel in the gospels of Matthew and John.
Cleopas has no further occurrence in the New Testament, but in tradition he has often been identified with Clopas, another New Testament figure.
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