Saint Josaphat or The Buddha?

Saint Josaphat, venerated in Christian legend, may owe his existence to a transcription error spanning religions and languages. Over centuries, the life story of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was translated, adapted, and retold through Persian, Arabic, and Greek sources until it appeared in Christian texts as the tale of Josaphat. Along the way, names, places, and teachings were altered, shifted, and reinterpreted, burying its Buddhist origins beneath Christian hagiography. The result was a saint whose narrative may be a cross-cultural miscast of the Buddha's quest for enlightenment.

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