Pamphilus of Caesarea

Pamphilus was an Eastern prelate of such extensive learning that he was called a second Origen. He was a native of Phoenicia and was probably born in Berytus (Beirut). Pamphilus was of a rich and honorable family, but gave all his property to the poor. Pamphilus went to Alexandria, where his teacher was Pierius, the head of the famous catechetical school. He thereafter settled in Caesarea Maritima, where he was ordained a priest.

He was a man of profound learning, and devoted himself chiefly to the study of the Scriptures and the writings of the early Church fathers. Jerome states that Pamphilus copied most of the works of Origen with his own hand; and, assisted by Eusebius.

He was rrested and carried before Urban, the governor of Palestine in AD 307. Urban, who had failed in having Pamphilus turn to paganism, ordered him to be tortured severely, and to be imprisoned. He was beheaded in A.D. 309.

On his deathbed, Origen had made a bequest of his private library to the Christian community in Caesarea. Origen's library (including the original manuscripts of his works) formed the core of the collection with which Pamphilus established a library at Caesarea, which became celebrated throughout the Christian world. Pamphilus constantly lent and gave away copies of the Scriptures, with both Eusebius and Jerome speaking in the highest terms of his piety and benevolence. Jerome states that Pamphilus composed an apology for Origen before Eusebius; but at a later period he denied that Pamphilus wrote anything except short letters to his friends. The truth seems to be that the first five books of the Apology for Origen were composed by Eusebius and Pamphilus jointly, and the sixth book by Eusebius alone, after the death of Pamphilus.

Another work which Pamphilus effected in conjunction with Eusebius was an edition of the Septuagint, from the text in Origen's Hexapla. This edition was generally used in the Eastern Church.  Eusebius wrote a Life of Pamphilus, in three books, which is now entirely lost, with the exception of a few fragments. We have notices of him in Eusebius (Hist. Eccles. 7:32), and in the De Viris Illustribus and other works of Jerome.