By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

Archeologists in Turkey believe they have unearthed the tomb of St. Philip the Apostle who is thought to have died in that country in 80 A.D.

The World Bulletin is reporting that the tomb was discovered among the ruins of a newly unearthed church in Hierapolis, a city located in the southwestern province of Denizli in Turkey. Professor Francesco D’Andria, an Italian archeologist who had been working for years to find the apostle’s tom said the structure of the tomb and the writings on the wall prove that it belong to St. Philip.

Ancient tradition associates Hierapolis, which means “sacred city,” with St. Philip the Apostle, who is believed to have been martyred there, either by beheading or an upside-down crucifixion, in 80 A.D. One of the original 12 apostles, he preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia before meeting his end in Turkey. After his death, an octagonal tomb named “The Martryium” was erected for him at the site where he was martyred.

The discovery is being described as a major development for both archeology and Christianity and is expected to make the area an important pilgrimage destination in the future.

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