Saint Procopius of Scythopolis

Life story

The best source for Procopius is the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, who wrote around 311 in his Martyrs of Palestine. According to Eusebius, Procopius was born in Jerusalem but went to live in Scythopolis (modern Beit She'an, Israel), where he held three offices in the Church: reader, interpreter from Greek into Aramaic (Syriac) and, probably, exorcist. He lived very strictly, eating only bread and water, fasting for long periods and studying Scripture day and night.

According to Eusebius he was sent with other confessors from Scythopolis to Caesarea and was brought straight before the governor Flavianus. Ordered to sacrifice to the gods, he declared that there is only one God, the Maker of all things. When the governor ordered him to sacrifice to the four emperors, he cited Homer's line that many rulers are not good and there should be one ruler and one king. He was beheaded, and Eusebius calls him the first of the martyrs of Palestine.

Eusebius dates his death to the seventh day of the month Desius, that is 7 June 303. Later legendary versions confused him with another Saint Procopius, a soldier saint said to have been named Neanias and to have been a duke of Alexandria; those stories are not in Eusebius and should not be taken as history. The West keeps his feast on 8 July, and the East commemorates him on 22 November.

Works and witness

• Served as reader and translator at Scythopolis
• Lived as an ascetic on bread and water
• Confessed one God before the governor Flavianus
• Beheaded at Caesarea on 7 June 303, the first martyr of Palestine according to Eusebius

Saints from the same country

Saint Peter, Saint Andrew the Apostle, Saint James the Greater, Saint John the Apostle

References

• Eusebius, Martyrs of Palestine, ch. 1 (newadvent.org/fathers/2505), read: first of the martyrs of Palestine, Caesarea, seventh day of Desius, the line of the poet, Flavianus named in the preface
• Eusebius, Martyrs of Palestine, Cureton translation notes (tertullian.org) and Catholic Encyclopedia “Scythopolis” (cathen/13648b) – reader, interpreter, exorcist; feast 8 July (seen via search excerpts)
• Wikipedia (English), “Procopius of Scythopolis” – confusion with Procopius the soldier saint

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.