Joseph Barsabbas

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Joseph Barsabbas (also known as Justus) is a figure of early Christian history.

In the Acts of the Apostles, he is mentioned as a candidate to replace Judas Iscariot and bring the Apostles again to twelve.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Peter, after recounting the end of Judas Iscariot, said:

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Acts 1:20-26

Since the passage identifies the candidates as "of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us", Joseph was a member of the wider circle of disciples.

In Christian tradition, he is therefore numbered among the Seventy Disciples mentioned in Luke 10:1-24.

In Christian tradition, this Justus went on to become Bishop of Eleutheropolis, where he died a martyr and is venerated as Saint Justus of Eleutheropolis. The location provides a date for this legend, since the site of Eleutheropolis was a mere village in the 1st century, whose inhabitants were slain and enslaved with others by Vespasian in AD 68 (Josephus, Bell. Jud). The site was refounded, as Eleutheropolis, in AD 200 by Septimius Severus. However, and a first historical bishop can be found in the 4th century, when Eleutheropolis was an important city.^{[citation needed]}

In the Legenda Aurea, he is indentified with Joses, one of the brothers of Jesus. This identification was copied by Robert Eisenman [1], but has not found acceptance.