 The spread of Christianity in Gaza was initiated by Philip the Arab around 250 CE ; first in the port of Maiuma , but later into the city . The religion faced obstacles as it spread through the inland population because pagan worship was strong . In 299 , an unverified number of local Christians who assembled in Gaza to hear the Scriptures read were seized and mutilated by the Romans . Also , its Christians were harshly repressed during the Diocletianic Persecution in 303 . The first bishop of Gaza was Philemon , believed to have been one of the 72 disciples , but the first cleric was Saint Silvanus who , during the persecution by <unk> in 310 , was arrested along with about 30 other Christians , and condemned to death . 
