The two Christian saints who are the Buddha

The Christian saints Barlaam and Josaphat, venerated by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since at least the 10th century, are actually based on the life story of Gautama Buddha. The narrative—in which a sheltered prince encounters suffering, converts to a spiritual faith, and eventually becomes a holy man—was transmitted from Sanskrit and Persian Buddhist texts through Arabic and Georgian versions before being incorporated into Christian tradition and spread worldwide. This transformation exemplifies how world religions have historically borrowed and adapted each other's stories and traditions through cultural contact.