Saint Barsanuphius or Barsanūf, Barsonofio, Barsanofrio, and Barsanorio; died after 543, but we do not know for sure when. We also do not know when he was born. However, we do know he was a hermit near Palestine, specifically Gaza. He is also known in the Eastern Church as Baranuphius the Great. Saint Barsanuphius, writer of the sixth century, and we know a lot about that period in Gaza because of his numerous letters. He is considered one of the Desert Fathers and was honored by having his image carved into the Altar of the Hagia Sophia (The famous church that became a mosque in Istanbul or Constantinople). Had you ever heard of Saint Barsanuphius?
Biography of Saint Barsanuphius
Saint Barsanuphius was born in Egypt. Saint Barsanuphius traveled to the hilly region near Gaza at some point in the early sixth century and began to live as a recluse. It is not known why he moved. It is also uncertain whether he was ordained a priest. Saint Barsanuphius was Chalcedonian. The Chalcedonian doctrine of the Hypostatic Union states that Jesus Christ has two natures, divine and human, possessing a complete human nature while remaining one divine hypostasis.
In Thavata, Saint Barsanuphius started to offer advice and spiritual direction to other ascetics who were living in the region, among others to the community of the nearby monastery, which became increasingly responsible for the support of the various monks who gathered around the hermit. The abbot of the monastery was the only person who communicated directly with Saint Barsanuphius and acted as mediator for those who wished to be counselled by the hermit.
Between the years 525 and 527, another hermit called John came to live in the same monastic community as a disciple of Barsanuphius, who surrendered his cell to John, moving into another nearby cell. Saint Barsanuphius became known as the “Old Man” or the “Great Old Man,” while John was called “The Other Old Man” or “the Prophet.” John placed himself under the spiritual authority of Barsanuphius, though Barsanuphius never asserted this authority over John after he was established as an anchorite. Saint Barsanuphius collaborated with John the Prophet.
This is important. Barsanuphius and John were sought to provide advice and spiritual direction by a diverse group of people. These included other hermits, priests, bishops, and monks as well as lay persons of various professions. Saint Barsanuphius and John the Prophet corresponded with their disciples through letters, with around 850 letters surviving (of which Saint Barsanuphius wrote around 400).
In their letters, the Bible is often adapted allegorically and spiritually in order to respond to the needs of each individual. The historical details of the letters, such as references to laws by Emperor Justinian, elections of bishops of Jerusalem and Gaza, as well as the advent of the Justinian plague, confirm the sixth century as the date of the composition of the letters. The letters, apart from being religiously significant, provide invaluable insights for the understanding of the theological, ecclesiastical, social, and even political history of the region of Gaza.
Barsanuphius is venerated in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. There were many churches and altars dedicated to him in the Middle East, such as in Ceglie Messapica, and his name was popular in the region after the translation of his relics to Oria. Many of these Altars still exist some fourteen hundred years later.
Conclusion
Saint Barsanuphius is a little-known saint. However, he is important because hundreds of his letters still exist. They are both religiously and historically significant, and the letters provide insight into the period. He was a hermit, but his collaboration with Saint John the Prophet is very important.
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