Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Seasons of Grace

Home
Catholic
Big News for Archeology and for Christendom: Tomb of Apostle Philip Uncovered in Turkey

Big News for Archeology and for Christendom: Tomb of Apostle Philip Uncovered in Turkey

Last updated on: September 8, 2016 at 7:51 pm by Kathy Schiffer

Big News for Archeology and for Christendom: Tomb of Apostle Philip Uncovered in Turkey 2016-09-08T19:51:58-05:00 Kathy Schiffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

He’s kind of like the “Come and See” Saint.

— Philip brought to Jesus his friend Nathaniel who, along with Philip, dropped what he was doing and became a follower of Christ.

— He brought to Jesus the boy with a basket of food, and so witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

— And Philip wanted to see for himself—so he asked Jesus, at the Last Supper, to show him the Father.

* * * * *

The archeological world has been abuzz this week with the news that the tomb of the apostle Philip has been discovered inTurkey’s southwestern province of Denizki.

For years, archeologists have been searching for the burial site of the man who is always listed in Scripture as the fifth Apostle. According to tradition, Philip—who preached in Greece, Syria and Phrygia—had died in the ancient town of Hierapolis, famed since the second century for its hot springs, in about 80 A.D. It was believed that Philip had died either by crucifixion or by beheading.

An excavation team was working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in that city, when they uncovered the tomb. Although the tomb’s not yet been opened, both its structure (it’s an octagonal tomb named “The Martryium”) and the writings on it prove that it is Philip’s final resting place.

Italian professor Francesco D’Andria, head of the excavation team, called the discovery a major development, both for archeology and for the Christian world.

* * * * *

Just who was Philip, anyway?

He was born in Bethsaida, along with Peter and Andrew. That’s where Jesus found him and said “Follow me.” John’s gospel tells us that Philip dropped everything to follow Jesus; but he also ran to his friend Nathanael, exclaiming, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Nathanael, though, was more skeptical. “How can anything good come from Nazareth?” he wanted to know.

But Philip persisted: “Come and see.”

Philip shows up later in the Gospel of John, when Jesus spots a large crowd coming toward him (John 6:5-7) and knows that they have nothing to eat. Philip exclaims, “It would take two hundred denarii (more than half a year’s wages) to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Along with Andrew, his old friend from Bethsaida, Philip brings to Jesus a young boy who has a basket of loaves and fishes. You remember the rest of the story: Jesus works a miracle, the throngs of people are fed, and there are twelve baskets of leftovers.

Philip is seen in the Gospel one more time, at the Last Supper, again armed with a question for Jesus. In John 14:8-13, once again Jesus is talking with his apostles, teaching them about His Father in heaven. Philip again yearns to know more, to understand more fully. “Lord, show us the Father,” says Philip, “and that will be enough for us.” Jesus explains that He and the Father are one, and that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father.

A Prayer to St. Philip

O Glorious Saint Philip, at the Last Supper you said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and it will be enough for us.” Help us to make this our prayer also and to seek God in all things. Obtain for us the grace to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom he has sent – for in this does eternal life consist.

St. Philip the Apostle

Previous Post

July 28, 2011

Rest In Peace, Beloved Archbishop Sambi

Next Post

July 31, 2011 Living and Loving the Gospel of Life

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #Synod14 Abortion Abstinence Abuse Addiction Adoption Advent Adventure Advertising Aging Agnosticism All Saints Day All Souls Day Amish Anathema Angels Anglican Animals Annulment Annunciation Apocalypse Apologetics Apostles Apostleship of the Sea Apparitions Archangels Archbishop Cordileone Archbishop Dolan Archbishop Vigneron Archeology Architecture Art Art Buchwald Ash Wednesday Assisted Suicide Astronauts Atheism Athletes Babies Baptism Beatification Beauty Bible Biochemistry Bioethics Birds Bishop Lori Bishops Blasphemy Books Canon Law Canonization Capital Punishment Cardinal Burke Cardinal Dolan Cardinal George Caritas Catechesis Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic Catholic Education Catholic Higher Education Catholic Social Teaching Celibacy Cemeteries Character Charity Chastity Cheapskate Christian Unity Christmas Churches Civil Rights Cloning Comedy Communion of Saints Community Kitchens Confession Confirmation Conscience Consequences Consistory Constitution Contraception Conversion Cooking Councils of the Church Creativity Criminal Justice Cristero War Crucifixion Crystal Cathedral Culture Death Death and Dying Death Penalty Department of Health and Human Services Diaconate Dictatorship of Relativism Dignity Disability Discrimination Dissidence Divorce Doctors of the Church Early Church Fathers Easter Economics Ecumenism Education Encyclicals Environmentalism Episcopal Church Eucharist Euthanasia Evangelism Evangelists Evangelization Evolution Excuses Facebook Faith Families Family Fashion Fasting Fatherhood Federal Government Feminism Fiction Film First Amendment First Communion For Greater Glory Forgiveness Free Speech Friends Friendship Gender Discrimination Germany Gnosticism Good Friday Government Grace Greed Gregorian Calendar Happiness Health Heaven Heresy History Holidays Holiness Hollywood Holy Land Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Year Home Sweet Home Homosexuality Hope Humanism Humility Humor Imagination Immaculate Conception Immigration Impulsivity In Vitro Fertilization Incarnation Indulgences Infallibility Internet Islam Italy Jerusalem Jesus Judaism Justice Kathleen Sebelius Labor Movement LCWR Lent Life Literature Liturgy Lourdes Love Magi Marketing Marriage Martyrdom Martyrs Mary Mass Media Medical Ethics Mexico Michigan Miracles Missionaries Modernism Modesty Monks Monothelitism Motherhood Movies Mushrooms Music Muslim Mystery Mysticism Mythology Nativity Natural Law Nature New Evangelization New Media New Year New Year's Resolutions Nostalgia Obscenity Occult Old Testament Origen Orthodox Orvieto Pallium Papacy Parenting Patience Patriarch Bartholomew Patriotism Peace Peace and Justice Penitence Pentecost People Persecution Philosophy Poetry Political activism Political Correctness Politics Polls Pop Culture Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Pope St. Pius X Pope Urban VII Population Prayer Preaching Prejudice Pride Priesthood Pro-Life Protestantism Psychology Purgatory Queenship of Mary Racism Rape Real Presence Reconciliation Reformation Relics Religious Religious Liberty Reliquary Renewal Reproductive Technology Resurrection Rights Romance Rome Royalty Sacraments Sacred Heart Saints Satanism Science Science Fiction Scripture Seal of Confession Secularism Seniors September 11 Seventy Times Seven Sexuality Sharks Sin Smoking Social Communications Social Justice Social Networking Social Sciences Space Exploration Spirituality Sports St. Luke St. Patrick's Day St. Paul St. Peter St. Teresa of Avila Stations of the Cross Steve Jobs Superstition Supreme Court Symbolism Synod Technology Teen Rebellion Television Terrorism Thankfulness Thanksgiving Theology Think This, Not That Tobit Toilets Toys Tradition Traditions Transplants Travel Trinity Twitter U.S. Air Force Uncategorized United Nations USCCB Valentine Vatican Vatican Archives Vatican Blogfest Virtue Vocations Where We Pray White Heart Women World Day of Social Communications World Meeting of Families World News World Youth Day Worship Writing Year of Consecrated Life Year of Faith Year of Mercy Youth

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What city did Jesus grow up in?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jericho Nazareth Jerusalem Bethlehem