Saint Barnabas was one of the founders of the independent Greek Orthodox church, and is the patron saint of Cyprus. He was born in Salamis to a Jewish family of the Levi clan, (the Levites from which the priests of the temple in Jerusalem were chosen), who had emigrated from Syria to Cyprus. He was originally called Sosis, a variant of Joseph. While undertaking a religious education in Jerusalem, Barnabas was able to witness some of the miracles of Jesus, and in 33AD he took up the faith of Jesus.