CHAPTER XXXI

THE DEATH OF JOHN AND PHILIP

THE time and manner of the death of Paul and Peter, and also the place where their bodies were interred after their departure from this life, has already been stated by us. The time when John died, has also, in some measure, been mentioned, but the place of his burial is shown from the epistle of Polycrates, who was bishop of the church of Ephesus, which epistle he wrote to Victor, bishop of Rome, and at the same time makes mention of him (John) and the apostle Philip, and his daughters, thus: “For in Asia, also, mighty luminaries have fallen asleep, which shall rise again at the last day, at the appearance of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall gather again all the saints. Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two aged virgin daughters,—and another of his daughters, who lived in the Holy Spirit, rests at Ephesus. Moreover, John, that rested on the bosom of our Lord, who was a priest that bore the sacerdotal plate, and martyr and teacher, he also rests at Ephesus.” This may suffice as to their death; and in the dialogue of Caius, which we mentioned a little before, Proclus, against whom he wrote his disputation, coinciding with what we have already advanced concerning the death of Philip and his daughters, speaks thus: “After this there were four prophetesses, the daughters of Philip at Hierapolis in Asia, whose tomb, and that of their father, are to be seen there.” Such is his statement; but Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, mentions the daughters of Philip, tarrying in Cæsarea of Judea, and as endued with the gift of prophecy, in these words: “We came to Cæsarea, and having entered the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, we abode with him. Now he had four virgin-daughters that prophesied.” As we have thus set forth what has come to our knowledge respecting the apostles and the apostolical times, as also respecting the sacred books that they have left us, both the disputed writings, though publicly used by many in most of the churches, and those that are altogether spurious, and far removed from the correct doctrine of the apostles, let us now proceed to our history in order.