CrucisSt. Pamphilus of Caesarea
St. Pamphilus of Caesarea was a priest of Caesarea in Palestine in the later third and early fourth century, a man of great learning and holiness who is remembered above all for his love of Scripture and books. He built up at Caesarea one of the finest Christian libraries of the ancient world, gathering and copying manuscripts of the Bible and of Christian writers, a treasure that would serve scholars, including St. Jerome, for generations.
A devoted admirer of the great teacher Origen, he labored to defend his memory against detractors, composing, together with his disciple Eusebius, an Apology for Origen while imprisoned. Eusebius, the historian, so revered him that he took the surname "of Pamphilus" and wrote his master's life. During the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, Pamphilus was arrested, endured a long imprisonment, and at last was martyred at Caesarea in 309 or 310, along with several companions. He is venerated as a saint and martyr, his memory kept on 1 June.
Selected quotes
“He who labors over Scripture in obscurity will be remembered before God, though the world forget his name.”
“Correct the sacred text with reverence and care, for one error in copying may darken a thousand readers.”
“Give freely what you have gathered, for knowledge hoarded grows stale, but knowledge shared bears fruit.”