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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2001-06 > 0991770222


From: "Kåre A. Lie" <>
Subject: Re: Was Paleiologos Jewish?
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 21:43:42 +0200
References: <F08T6.40$rS4.3852@eagle.america.net>, <20010605180425.33922.qmail@web12807.mail.yahoo.com>


On 5 Jun 2001 12:04:24 -0600, (Francisco
Antonio Doria) wrote:

>Don't ask me for the reference, Spencer, I just have
>this in my memory's long derelict backyard... If I
>correctly recall, the Hinduist-then-Buddhist concept
>of Bodhi-Satva was imported (through the usual
>commercial routes) by early Christianity, and mutated
>into a mythical St Josaphat.

This is a digression from medieval genealogy, but please allow me to
explain a little.

There are (at least) two different Josaphats here.

Josaphat is a name in the Bible, e.g. 1 Kg 22.4. The biblical Josaphat
has no connection with the Buddha.

However, in medieval Europe there spread a popular story about St.
Josaphat and Barlaam, and this was imported from buddhism.

The story of the life of the Buddha was told and retold (and changed
quite a lot) and spread from India through Iran and Syria untill it
reached Europe. The Buddha was called Bodhisattva as a young man,
before he became a Buddha, and this name was shortened to Bodisav. In
the Muslim areas it appears as Budhasaf or Yudasaf, and when the story
reached Christendom, Yudasaf was changed to Ioasaf and to the biblical
Josaphat.

In spite of all the changes, and in spite of inserted Christian
ideology, the legend of Josaphat and Barlaam is clearly recognizable
as the story of Buddha. It became popular and spread across Europe. It
is even found in Old Norse manuscripts in Iceland.

Josaphat was never officially canonized, but was still venerated as a
saint. The Roman Catholic church celebrates St. Josaphat on November
27, the Greek Orthodox church celebrates him on August 26, while the
Russian Orthodox church remember him on November 19. A church at
Palermo was dedicated to St. Josaphat, while a bone and part of the
spine of that holy man are reputed to be preserved at the cloister of
St. Salvator in Antwerp, Belgium.

The situation thus is a bit paradoxical. Without knowing it,
Christians venerate the Buddha as a saint. And maybe the good friars
of St. Salvator some day will find hosts of Buddhist pilgrims at the
cloister doors.

Yours,
KÃ¥re A. Lie
--------------------------------------------

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Omnis mali omissio, boni susceptio,
cogitationis suae lustratio: hoc est Buddharum praeceptum.

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