Like many of the Apostles, St. Philip was from Bethsaida. Originally a follower of John the Baptist, Philip became a disciple of Jesus following John's death. He is credited with introducing Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus and served as a link between Jesus and the Greek community of Jews. Little is written of what Philip did in the New Testament but several traditions survive.
Philip the Apostle is often confused with Philip the Evangelist although they are two separate figures. Between the Resurrection and the Ascension Philip was sent on a missionary journey as shown in the "Letter from Peter to Philip." Later, he was sent, along with his sister Mariamne and Bartholomew, to preach in Greece, Phrygia and Syria.
Perhaps the most well known legend about Philip concerns his martyrdom. While in Hierapolis, an ancient city in southwest Turkey, Philip converted the wife of the proconsul. The proconsul did not appreciate this conversion and had the three missionaries arrested and tortured. Mariamne was released but Philip and Bartholomew were crucified upside down. While on the cross, Philip continued to preach, and his preaching convinced the assembled crowd to release Bartholomew. When they went to release Philip, he insisted that he remain on the cross where he died. For many years, the location of his tomb was unknown but archaeologists claim to have discovered it in Turkey in 2011.