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The time and the manner of the death of Paul and Peter as well as
their burial places, have been already shown by us. The time of
John's death has also been given in a general way, but his burial
place is indicated by an epistle of Polycrates , addressed to
Victor, bishop of Rome. In this epistle he mentions him together
with the apostle Philip and his daughters in the following words:
"For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise
again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come
with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the saints. Among these
are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis,
and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter who lived in
the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and moreover John, who
was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the
Lord, and being a priest wore the sacerdotal plate. He also sleeps
at Ephesus." So much concerning their death. And in the Dialogue
of Caius which we mentioned a little above, Proclus, against whom he
directed his disputation, in agreement with what has been quoted,
speaks thus concerning the death of Philip and his daughters: "After
him there were four prophetesses, the daughters of Philip, at
Hierapolis in Asia. Their tomb is there and the tomb of their
father." Such is his state-merit. But Luke, in the Acts of the
Apostles, mentions the daughters of Philip who were at that time at
Caesarea in Judea with their father, and were honored with the gift
of prophecy. His words are as follows: "We came unto Caesarea;
and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of
the seven, we abode with him. Now this man had four daughters,
virgins, which did prophesy." We have thus set forth in these pages
what has come to our knowledge concerning the apostles themselves and
the apostolic age, and concerning the sacred writings which they have
left us, as well as concerning those which are disputed, but
nevertheless have been publicly used by many in a great number of
churches, and moreover, concerning those that are altogether rejected
and are out of harmony with apostolic orthodoxy. Having done this,
let us now proceed with our history.
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