The twelve holy martyrs suffered during the persecution of Christians, instigated by Emperor Diocletian in 308–309 AD in Caesarea of Palestine. Saint Pamphilus, a native of the city of Berytus, received his education in Alexandria and was appointed as a presbyter in Caesarea. He worked on the merging and correction of the texts of the New Testament, which led to the conversion of many pagans to Christ. Along with him, Saint Valentine, a deacon, and Saint Paul suffered. All three were imprisoned for 2 years. During the reign of his successor Firmilian, 130 Christians were condemned and sent to Cilicia, among whom were also young brothers who suffered for confessing Christ.
The servant of Pamphilus, an 18-year-old youth named Porphyrius, was killed for asking to bury the bodies of the martyrs. A witness to the martyrdom, a Christian named Seleucus, was captured and beheaded after greeting the martyrs. Theodulus, a secret Christian, was crucified for his faith. A young man named Julian, upon seeing the bodies of the martyrs, was captured and sentenced to be burned. The bodies of the martyrs remained untouched for 4 days, which led to the permission for Christians to bury them.
