ST BARNABAS'S DAY, a Christian festival, celebrated on the 11th of June.—St Barnabas was born at Cyprus, and descended of the tribe of Levi, whose Jewish ancestors are thought to have retired thither to secure themselves from violence during the troublesome times in Judea. His proper name was Jose; to which, after his conversion to Christianity, the apostles added that of Barnabas, signifying either the son of prophecy, or the son of consolation; the first respecting his eminent prophetic gifts, the other his great charity in selling his estate for the comfort and relief of the poor Christians. He was educated at Jerusalem, under the great Jewish doctor Gamaliel; which might probably lay the foundation of that intimate friendship which was afterwards contracted between this apostle and St Paul. The time of his conversion is uncertain; but he is generally esteemed one of the seventy disciples chosen by our Saviour himself.
At Antioch, St Paul and St Barnabas had a contest, which ended in their separation: but what followed it with respect to St Barnabas is not related in the Acts of the Apostles. Some say, he went into Italy, and founded a church at Milan. At Salamis, we are told, he suffered martyrdom; whither some Jews, being come out of Syria, set upon him, as he was disputing in the synagogue, and stoned him to death. He was buried by his kinsman Mark, whom he had taken with him, in a cave near that city. The remains of his body are said to have been discovered in the reign of the emperor Zeno, together with a copy of St Matthew's gospel, written with his own hand, and lying on his breast.