Saint Joseph of Palestine

Memorial: 22 July
Profile: Jewish layman. Belonged to the biblical school of Tiberius, and an assistant to the famous Rabbi Hillel. Secretly a Christian believer, Hillel was baptized on his death bed, and entrusted his holy books to Joseph. Head of the synagogue in Tarsus, his congregation caught him reading the gospels; they beat him and threw him in the Cydnus River. Convert.

Friend and counselor to emperor Constantine the Great, who appointed him comes. Built churches in Galilee, Tiberias, Nazareth, Capernaum, Bethsan, and Diocaesarea, and evangelized throughout the Holy Land. Fought Arianism, and moved to Scytholopolis where he hid priests from their persecution. Patron of Saint Eusebius of Vercielli and Saint Epiphanius. Epiphanius wrote Joseph's biography.

His guardianship of holy writings and holy men led to his association with guardians in general.
Died: c.356 of natural causes at Palestine
Name Meaning: whom the Lord adds (Joseph)
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Patronage: converts; guardians
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