one of the apostles, was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus Christ having seen him, said to him, "Follow me." Philip obeyed, and soon afterwards finding Nathaniel, said to him, "We have found the Messiah, of whom Moses and the prophets have spoken, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathaniel, however, true to the prejudices of his time, asked him, "Can any thing good come out of Nazareth?" To this Philip replied, "Come and see." He then brought Nathaniel to Jesus, and they went with him to the marriage at Cana in Galilee. Philip was called at the very beginning of our Saviour's mission; and when Jesus Christ was about to feed the five thousand who followed him to the wilderness, he asked Philip, in order to prove him, whence bread might be bought for such a multitude of people? Philip answered, that two hundred pennypot of bread would not be sufficient for every one to taste a little. Some Gentiles, having a curiosity to see Jesus Christ, a little before his passion, addressed themselves to Philip, who mentioned it to Andrew, and both of them to Christ. At the last supper, Philip besought our Saviour that he would be pleased to show them the Father, being all that they desired. But Jesus told them, that, seeing the Son, they saw the Father also. This is all we learn in the gospel concerning Philip.

Upper Asia fell to the lot of this apostle, who took great pains in planting the gospel there, and by his preaching and miracles made many converts. In the latter part of his life he went to Hierapolis in Phrygia, a city much addicted to idolatry, and particularly to the worship of a serpent of a prodigious size. Philip, by his prayers, procured the death, or at least the disappearance, of this monster, and convinced its worshippers of the absurdity of paying divine honours to such odious creatures. But the magistrates, enraged at his success, imprisoned him, and ordered him to be severely scourged, and then put to death, which some say was done by crucifixion, and others by hanging him up against a pillar. Philip is generally reckoned amongst the married apostles; and it is said he had three daughters, two of whom preserved their virginity, and died at Hierapolis, whilst the third, having led a very spiritual life, died at Ephesus. He left no writings behind him, the gospel under his name having been forged by the Gnostics, to countenance their evil principles and worse practices. The Christian church observes the festival of this saint, together with that of St James, on the first day of May.

name of several kings of Macedonia, the most celebrated of whom was Philip II., father of Alexander the Great. See Greece and Macedonia.

Philip. Both France and Spain have likewise had several sovereigns distinguished by this name. See France and Spain.