Criminal
01-06-2006, 12:09 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josaphat_%28saint%29
Saint Josaphat is said to have lived and died in the 3rd century or 4th century in India. His story appears to be in many respects a Christianized version of Gautama Buddha's story.
Saint Josaphat preaching Christianity. 12th century Greek manuscript.According to legend, a King Abenner or Avenier in India persecuted the Christian church in his realm, founded by the Apostle Thomas. When astrologers predicted that his own son would someday become a Christian, Abenner had the young prince Josaphat isolated from external contact. Despite the imprisonment, Josaphat met the hermit Saint Baarlam and converted to Christianity. Josaphat kept his faith even in the face of his father's anger and persuasion. Eventually, Abenner himself converted, turned over his throne to Josaphat, and retired to the desert to become a hermit. Josaphat himself later abdicated and went into reclusion with his old teacher Baarlam.
The story of Josaphat and Baarlam was popular in the Middle Ages, appearing in such works as the Golden Legend. Although Josaphat and Baarlam were canonized in the Greek Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church (feast day 27 November), there is no evidence that either ever existed.
Wilfred Cantwell Smith traced the story from a second to fourth-century Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist text, to a Manichee version, to an Arabic Muslim version, to an eleventh century Christian Georgian version, to a Christian Greek version, and from there into Western European languages. He traced Josaphat's name from the Sanskrit term bodhisattva via the Middle Persian bodasif.
Author Holger Kersten proposes an alternate explanation: that "Josaphat" is derived from the Arabic "Judasaf" or "Budasaf", as written in an Urdu version of the tale. He ties this name to Yuz Asaf, a Muslim holy figure identified with Jesus. This idea, which proposes Jesus escaped crucifixion and died in India, was first introduced to the west by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
Recent linguistic and geographic research of the spread of Buddha's tale across Asia and Europe also points toward the saint's name and tale originating with Buddha. Investigation by researchers at the Korean Seoul National University indicates that the name Buddha or Bodhisatta in Sanskrit changed to Bodisav in Persian texts in the sixth or seventh century, then to Budhasaf or Yudasaf in an eighth-century Arabic document, and Iodasaph in Georgia in the 10th century. That name was then adapted to Ioasaph in Greece in the 11th century, and Iosaphat or Josaphat in Latin since then. Besides their names, the stories of the two individuals are strikingly similar. [1]
Saint Josaphat is said to have lived and died in the 3rd century or 4th century in India. His story appears to be in many respects a Christianized version of Gautama Buddha's story.
Saint Josaphat preaching Christianity. 12th century Greek manuscript.According to legend, a King Abenner or Avenier in India persecuted the Christian church in his realm, founded by the Apostle Thomas. When astrologers predicted that his own son would someday become a Christian, Abenner had the young prince Josaphat isolated from external contact. Despite the imprisonment, Josaphat met the hermit Saint Baarlam and converted to Christianity. Josaphat kept his faith even in the face of his father's anger and persuasion. Eventually, Abenner himself converted, turned over his throne to Josaphat, and retired to the desert to become a hermit. Josaphat himself later abdicated and went into reclusion with his old teacher Baarlam.
The story of Josaphat and Baarlam was popular in the Middle Ages, appearing in such works as the Golden Legend. Although Josaphat and Baarlam were canonized in the Greek Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church (feast day 27 November), there is no evidence that either ever existed.
Wilfred Cantwell Smith traced the story from a second to fourth-century Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist text, to a Manichee version, to an Arabic Muslim version, to an eleventh century Christian Georgian version, to a Christian Greek version, and from there into Western European languages. He traced Josaphat's name from the Sanskrit term bodhisattva via the Middle Persian bodasif.
Author Holger Kersten proposes an alternate explanation: that "Josaphat" is derived from the Arabic "Judasaf" or "Budasaf", as written in an Urdu version of the tale. He ties this name to Yuz Asaf, a Muslim holy figure identified with Jesus. This idea, which proposes Jesus escaped crucifixion and died in India, was first introduced to the west by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
Recent linguistic and geographic research of the spread of Buddha's tale across Asia and Europe also points toward the saint's name and tale originating with Buddha. Investigation by researchers at the Korean Seoul National University indicates that the name Buddha or Bodhisatta in Sanskrit changed to Bodisav in Persian texts in the sixth or seventh century, then to Budhasaf or Yudasaf in an eighth-century Arabic document, and Iodasaph in Georgia in the 10th century. That name was then adapted to Ioasaph in Greece in the 11th century, and Iosaphat or Josaphat in Latin since then. Besides their names, the stories of the two individuals are strikingly similar. [1]