# Philip baptizes the Ethiopian official (c. 37)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/37-philip-baptizes-the-ethiopian-official
Location: Road to Gaza, Judea
Themes: Mission

Acts records the deacon Philip baptizing an official of the Ethiopian queen, a symbol of the gospel reaching Africa. At this point in the timeline (c. 37), the Bishop of Rome was Saint Peter (c. 30 – c. 64). Dates for the earliest bishops of Rome are traditional and uncertain.

## Why it matters
Philip baptizes the Ethiopian official mattered because it carried Christianity to new peoples and regions, changing the map of world Christianity.

Pope at the time: [Saint Peter](https://christianity-history.com/popes/saint-peter)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Ethiopian eunuch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_eunuch)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Philip baptizes the Ethiopian official](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Philip+baptizes+the+Ethiopian+official)
- [Wikipedia — Apostolic Age (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Age)