Tomb of Apostle Philip Found

Timna

Well-Known Member
Tomb of Apostle Philip Found

Discovery made at Hierapolis, one of the major Christian sites in Turkey

Biblical Archaeology Society Staff • 08/16/2014

This Bible History Daily feature was originally published in January 2012. It has been updated.—Ed.
Tomb of Apostle Philip Found

Amid the remains of a fourth- or fifth-century church at Hierapolis, one of the most significant Christian sites in Turkey, Francesco D’Andria found this first-century Roman tomb that he believes once held the remains of the apostle Philip.

At about the same time as the July/August 2011 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review was hitting the newsstands, containing an article about St. Philip’s Martyrium,* author and excavation director Francesco D’Andria was making an exciting new discovery in the field at Hierapolis, one of the most significant sites in Christian Turkey. A month later he announced it: They had finally found the tomb of the martyred apostle Philip.

The tomb wasn’t discovered at the center of the octagonal hilltop martyrium as long expected, however, but in a newly excavated church about 40 yards away. D’Andria’s team found a first-century Roman tomb located at the center of the new church, which he says originally contained Philip’s remains. This early church of Christian Turkey was built around the tomb in the fourth or fifth century, and the nearby martyrium was built around the same time, in the early fifth century.

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AMA.2.R

New Member
I love archaeology, especially Biblical archaeology, so finding Phillip's tomb is interesting.
But finding it empty?
Seriously, what's up with the many disinterred bones in Christian history?!?
This person's finger here, that person's toe there, an apostle's cranium, spine, whatever...?

Unless someone specifically asked to be reburied amongst distant family or something,
disinterment is purposeless. And more than a little bit creepy.

First off, the people are gone.
It's. Just. Bones.
We all have them.
Secondly, it seems at the very least disrespectful.

You would especially think that the remains of someone martyred would be left where they rest
out of honor and decency if nothing else, wouldn't you? Maybe it's just me.
 

ReadyforSupper

Well-Known Member
I think the removal of saints' bones has to do with the Catholic church. They taught that these relics could perform miracles and venerated them.

Of course, Muslims would desecrate any graves like that.
I believe it was the mother of Constantine that went on the search for "relics" that, like you said, treated them like talismans, believing them to have some supernatural power.:tribal
 

Hidden

Well-Known Member
Catholics believe that the bodies of the saints are incorruptible. It used to be one of the qualifiers for "sainthood", which, of course is an erroneous doctrine because the only qualifier for sainthood is being washed by the blood of Christ and our bodies will remain in the natural state until such time when we are raised incorruptible in the rapture.
 

Sean1916

Member
I always had the idea that Philip was a missionary in India. Suppose I need to get a refresher course.

Don't understand the dismemberment either. Seems a bit a waste of time not counting just how weird it would be.
 

maryrae

Well-Known Member
If ISIS ever gains control of Turkey, there goes more destruction of Christian sites.
I agree with those here who have spoken of the Catholic influence. Why couldn't they have respected the dead and left their remains resting there until the Resurrection? Bones are just...bones.... they hold no special powers.
 

Micki

MARANATHA!!
The vatican does not hold that all the saints they accept as saints are incorruptible, but there are some who have proven to be and their incorruption counts as a miracle towards their catholic sainthood decided by the vatican. The purpose behind raiding the tombs of saints, especially first century saints such as the apostles, it to legitimize a Catholic Church building. The catechism taught, and probably still teaches, that the relic, any body part, of a saint makes the building that contains it holy, legitimizing it before all the world, proving the roman catholic faith is the true Christian religion. Of course this is the exact opposite of what The Bible says, that dead bodies are unclean. The rcc chose to make one of the most Biblically vile things one of their signatures.

Matthew 23:27 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
 

maryrae

Well-Known Member
I always had the idea that Philip was a missionary in India. Suppose I need to get a refresher course.

Don't understand the dismemberment either. Seems a bit a waste of time not counting just how weird it would be.
Hi Sean,
I was curious, so I looked up where Philip went, and as far as I've discovered, it wasn't India. Philip (the deacon) I haven't been able to find anything outside Scripture.
According to tradition, it was Thomas who went to India. What I have found is that we really don't know 100% for sure what kind of death they suffered, because it is unconfirmed reports outside of Scripture, in other words just "tradition". So much of what we call "according to tradition" is RCC or Orthodox, and as such needs to be scrutinized closely, imo.
 

Timna

Well-Known Member
Bones are just...bones....
Well, yes and no. True, bones are just bones, however they do hold recoverable DNA in many cases, DNA that can be placed into a database and possibly be of great importance for those who search for their ancestral origins, especially, "but not only" for those of Jewish ancestry whose ancestry might include some very notable figures from Middle-Eastern and world history, as the science of genetic DNA advances.
 

maryrae

Well-Known Member
Well, yes and no. True, bones are just bones, however they do hold recoverable DNA in many cases, DNA that can be placed into a database and possibly be of great importance for those who search for their ancestral origins, especially, "but not only" for those of Jewish ancestry whose ancestry might include some very notable figures from Middle-Eastern and world history, as the science of genetic DNA advances.
Never thought of it in that way! Good point.
 

MarleneF

Member
Scary comment about ISIS getting into Turkey. I have a long time friend (dating back to grade school) who is a doctor, but her other love is archeology. So she married the Dean of Archeology at the local University.

Every year they go to Turkey to do digs. She says it is unbelievable the things they find. And the Russians have some kind of machine that can see all the layers, and figure out where to dig. She says the Christian sites go on forever. (She is not a Christian, but loves the archeological parts!)

I also learned in Seminary in Biblical backgrounds, that the Turkey government will not let the archeologist unearth certain "tells" or mounds. One such place is the tell of Colossae. They are very afraid of them finding anything that might support Christianity.

Since Colossae was abandoned after a major earthquake in 66 AD, it may contain untold treasure which would support the Bible. For example, what if they discovered the earliest manuscripts of Colossians? It boggles the mind. I really hope they can uncover those tells before ISIS gets there!
 

Hol

Worships Him
:threadjack

Marlene, I had a question for you and tried to Private Message (PM) you but couldn't see where to send a PM on your information / profile tab.

It's specific to your studies in Hebrew. In Job 1:16 I tried to decipher 'the fire of God' and in my VERY limited Hebrew read the Masoteric text & Stong's concordance, but the fonts were different and it threw me off.

If you wouldn't mind I wanted to ask if I could seek you out for a question about Hebrew once in awhile?
 

Timna

Well-Known Member
Scary comment about ISIS getting into Turkey. I have a long time friend (dating back to grade school) who is a doctor, but her other love is archeology. So she married the Dean of Archeology at the local University.

Every year they go to Turkey to do digs. She says it is unbelievable the things they find. And the Russians have some kind of machine that can see all the layers, and figure out where to dig. She says the Christian sites go on forever. (She is not a Christian, but loves the archeological parts!)

I also learned in Seminary in Biblical backgrounds, that the Turkey government will not let the archeologist unearth certain "tells" or mounds. One such place is the tell of Colossae. They are very afraid of them finding anything that might support Christianity.

Since Colossae was abandoned after a major earthquake in 66 AD, it may contain untold treasure which would support the Bible. For example, what if they discovered the earliest manuscripts of Colossians? It boggles the mind. I really hope they can uncover those tells before ISIS gets there!
I have visited the Tel at/of Colossae twice. The first time was in 1997, the bus parked and we just climbed to the top. There was absolutely no security, no guard, no fence. Basically it was just out in the boonies, so to speak. Our Turkish guide, Halit Ulcan, just decided to take a stop at Colossae along the way to other destinations in Turkey, it wasn't on the itinerary. Halit noted that almost no tour guides in Turkey even knew about the site, and one could see why, given the location. Just walking along the top, there were pottery shards everywhere, and apparently quite a few people picked some up and kept them. The Turkish government has since tried to put a stop to that practice. I was at Colossae again in 2006 and a security fence had been installed around the Tel. Apparently more people know about Colossae now. Turkey is awash in archaeological sites that need to be excavated. We were told that Turkey has about 6600 archaeological sites. Turkey is often referred to as the "other Holy Land," (at least it is by some Turks) referring to the Seven Churches of Revelation, and other Biblical sites. In past years Turkey was too poor to do much excavating, so each year groups of EUrolalas visited and excavated different sites. Some of those groups did a lot of excavation at Laodicea, from the time I had first visited it in 1995. and the last time in 06.
 

MarleneF

Member
I have visited the Tel at/of Colossae twice. The first time was in 1997, the bus parked and we just climbed to the top. There was absolutely no security, no guard, no fence. Basically it was just out in the boonies, so to speak. Our Turkish guide, Halit Ulcan, just decided to take a stop at Colossae along the way to other destinations in Turkey, it wasn't on the itinerary. Halit noted that almost no tour guides in Turkey even knew about the site, and one could see why, given the location. Just walking along the top, there were pottery shards everywhere, and apparently quite a few people picked some up and kept them. The Turkish government has since tried to put a stop to that practice. I was at Colossae again in 2006 and a security fence had been installed around the Tel. Apparently more people know about Colossae now. Turkey is awash in archaeological sites that need to be excavated. We were told that Turkey has about 6600 archaeological sites. Turkey is often referred to as the "other Holy Land," (at least it is by some Turks) referring to the Seven Churches of Revelation, and other Biblical sites. In past years Turkey was too poor to do much excavating, so each year groups of EUrolalas visited and excavated different sites. Some of those groups did a lot of excavation at Laodicea, from the time I had first visited it in 1995. and the last time in 06.


I was hoping to travel when my husband and I retired, but things didn't work out that way. We are both retired, but I a too sick to do much traveling. But if I did travel, besidest the Holy Lnnd, I would love to visit Turkey. You are blessed to have been there at a time, when the Tel was still unfenced and you could climb to the top! And a lot of Christian early church things did happen in that area, and we have a lot of books in the Bible located in modern day Turkey, either written from there, or to there! Great stuff!
 

Hol

Worships Him
I was hoping to travel when my husband and I retired, but things didn't work out that way. We are both retired, but I a too sick to do much traveling. But if I did travel, besidest the Holy Lnnd, I would love to visit Turkey. You are blessed to have been there at a time, when the Tel was still unfenced and you could climb to the top! And a lot of Christian early church things did happen in that area, and we have a lot of books in the Bible located in modern day Turkey, either written from there, or to there! Great stuff!
Hi Marlene, did you happen to notice my question up thread?
 
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