BARNABAS, Sr, one of the earliest apostles of Christianity, was born in Cyprus, and descended of the tribe of Levi. His proper name was Joses or Joseph, to which, after his conversion to Christianity, the apostles added that of Barnabas, signifying either "the son of prophecy" or "the son of consolation." He was educated at Jerusalem under Gamaliel. The time of his conversion is uncertain; but he is generally supposed to have been one of the seventy disciples chosen by our Saviour himself.
At Antioch Paul and Barnabas, in consequence of differing about the propriety of taking with them Mark as their minister on their second evangelizing journey, separated. The subsequent travels and acts of Barnabas are not related in the Acts of the Apostles. Some say that he went into Italy and founded a church at Milan. It is generally believed that he suffered martyrdom at Salamis, where some Jews from Syria set upon him as he was disputing in the synagogue, and stoned him to death. He was buried in a cave near that city by his kinsman Mark, whom he had taken along with him. 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. The festival of St Barnabas is celebrated on the 11th of June.