
A Christian tale of saints and martyrs named Barlaam and Josaphat had been around since the early days of the Christian churches. In the story Josaphat was the son of a king in India, and the king persecuted Christians. A teacher named Barlaam converts Josaphat and the King eventually becomes Christian too. Prince Josaphat becomes king but later leaves the throne for religious reasons. Many historians believe this story was heavily based on the story of Buddha.