Philip, Saint

Philip, a fisherman from Bethsaida, was one of the twelve apostles, the third to be called by Jesus. He is mentioned primarily in the Gospel of *John: summoned by Jesus and bringing Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus (John 1:43-46), present at the *miracle of the *Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (John 6:5-7), with Jesus in Jerusalem (John 12:21-22), and at the *Last Supper (John 14:8-9). He is also mentioned in Acts 1:13 as being present at the selection of *Judas’s replacement Matthias. *Apocrypha and later legends (which may confuse Philip the Apostle with Philip the Evangelist or Deacon) tell of Philip’s later *preaching in Greece and Phrygia, and his *martyrdom in Hierapolis after he exorcised the *Devil or a *demon (in the shape of a dragon) from the pedestal of a statue. The dragon exited, emitting fire, poison, and a foul stink which killed many people. Philip was then stoned, tied to a *cross, and crucified head downward. His attributes are loaves, stones, and a cross. Scenes from his life and martyrdom are somewhat rare; he is sometimes paired with Saint Bartholomew.