Barlaam and Ioasaph
by

St. John Damascene (?)
("St. John of Damascus")
c. 676 - 749 A.D.

It is not known where or when this story was written, but it is
believed to have been translated into Greek (possibly from a
Georgian original) sometime in the 11th Century A.D. Although
the ultimate author is usually referred to as "John the Monk", it
has been traditionally ascribed to St. John of Damascus.

The text of this edition is based on that published as ST. JOHN
DAMASCENE: BARLAAM AND IOASAPH (Trans: G.R. Woodward and H.
Mattingly; Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1914). This
text is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN in he United States.

This electronic edition was edited, proofed, and prepared by
Douglas B. Killings (DeTroyes@EnterAct.COM), November, 1996.

PREPARER'S NOTE:
Readers of this work will note some startling similarities
between the story of Ioasaph and the traditional Tale of Buddha.
The work seems to be a retelling of the Buddha Legend from within
a Christian context, with the singular difference that the
"Buddha" in this tale reaches enlightenment through the love of
Jesus Christ.

The popularity of the Greek version of this story is attested to