Barlaam and Ioasaph, a hagiographic novel in which an Indian prince becomes aware of the world's miseries and is converted to Christianity by a monk, is a Christianized version of the legend of the Buddha. Though often attributed to John Damascene (ca. AD 676-749), it was probably translated from Georgian into Greek in the eleventh century.

One of the best known examples of the hagiographic novel, this is the tale of an Indian prince who becomes aware of the world's miseries, is converted to Christianity by the monk Barlaam, founds a Christian kingdom, and spends his later years as a hermit in the desert. Not until the mid-nineteenth century was it fully recognized that this Greek romance is actually the legend of the Buddha in a Christianized version. D. M. Lang's Introduction traces the parallels between the two stories, notes the influences of the Manichaean creed, and discusses the importance of Arabic versions of the legend.