St. Joseph Barsabbas

In the Acts of the Apostles, Joseph Barsabbas, also known as Justus of Eleutheropolis or Joseph the Just) was one of two candidates qualified to be chosen for the office of apostle after Judas Iscariot lost his apostleship when he betrayed Jesus and died by suicide. After the casting of lots Barsabbas was not chosen, the lot instead favoring St. Matthias to be numbered with the remaining eleven apostles.

Both Joseph and Matthias had been followers of Jesus from the beginning of Jesus' public ministry after the baptism that he received from John the Baptist. He had continued as a member of the larger company of disciples even to the time that Jesus was taken up from them.

In Christian tradition, this Justus went on to become Bishop of Eleutheropolis, where he died a martyr and is venerated as Saint Justus of Eleutheropolis. The location provides a date for this legend, since the site of Eleutheropolis was a mere village called Betaris in the 1st century, whose inhabitants were slain and enslaved with others by Vespasian in AD 68 (Josephus). The site was refounded, as Eleutheropolis, in AD 200 by Septimius Severus. The first historical bishop, Macrinus, can be found in the 4th century, when Eleutheropolis was an important city.

The latest official edition of the Roman Martyrology commemorates Joseph called Barsabbas and also Justus under the date of 20 July, but limits its comments to the facts set out in the Acts of the Apostles. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates him on 30 October with the name of Justus as well as on 4 January with the other disciples.