Ioasaph Iasaph Joasaph Yudasaf
27 November (Roman calendar) 26 August (Greek calendar)
Many people in India were converted by Thomas the Apostle. Astrologers foretold that the son of King Abenner would one day become a Christian. To prevent this, Abenner began persecuting the Church, and had his son placed under house arrest. In spite of these precautions, Barlaam, a hermit of Senaar, met him, and converted him to the Faith. Abenner tried to pervert Josaphat, but failed, and shared the government with him. Abenner himself later became a Christian, abdicated the throne, and became a hermit. Josaphat governed for a time, then abdicated, too. He travelled to the desert, found Barlaam, and spent his remaining years as a holy hermit. Years after their deaths, the bodies Josaphat and Barlaam were brought to India; their joint grave became renowned by miracles.
Even the name Josaphat appears to a corruption of the original Joasaph, which is corrupted from the middle Persian Budasif (Budsaif=Bodhisattva); a form of the story appears in The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine.
Barlaam and Ioasaph, by Saint John Damascene Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate Catholic Encyclopedia For All The Saints Gnostic Apostle Thomas: Chapter 21 New Catholic Dictionary Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson