Barnabas

Who is Barnabas?

Barnabas, born Joseph, was a Jewish Levite native to the city of Salamis in Cyprus, described in the New Testament as coming from a family long settled on the island. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was an early and generous member of the Christian community in Jerusalem, selling land he owned and giving the proceeds to the apostles. He is credited with vouching for Saul of Tarsus, the future apostle Paul, before a wary Jerusalem church after Paul's conversion, and the two later traveled together on a missionary journey that began on Cyprus itself, preaching across the island before continuing into Asia Minor. Barnabas is traditionally identified as a cousin of Mark the Evangelist. After his missionary partnership with Paul ended in disagreement over a companion, tradition holds that Barnabas returned to Cyprus to continue his ministry there. Ancient sources, including later Christian tradition, report that he was martyred by stoning near Salamis around 61 AD. He is venerated as the founder of the Church of Cyprus and remains the island's patron saint, with a monastery near Salamis long associated with his memory and tomb.

Sources: Acts of the Apostles, chapters 4, 9, 11-15 · Britannica, "Saint Barnabas" · Wikipedia, "Barnabas"