Tomb of St Barnabas (Monastery of St Barnabas, Salamis) | Biblical Sites

The Monastery of St Barnabas near ancient Salamis marks the spot where, in AD 478, Archbishop Anthemios of Cyprus is said to have found the apostle's tomb after a vision — reportedly with a copy of the Gospel of Matthew resting on the saint's chest. The timing was convenient: the 'discovery' was presented to Emperor Zeno and used to win the Church of Cyprus its independence (autocephaly) from the Patriarchate of Antioch. A basilica funded by Zeno rose near the site, and the present monastery buildings date largely to an 18th-century rebuilding; a small chapel still stands over the reputed tomb. The Byzantine cult of Barnabas, the monastery, and the tomb-chapel are all well documented as historical realities. But the miraculous discovery — and the identity of any remains — rests on tradition with obvious ecclesiastical-political usefulness rather than on independent verification.

Where it is: Near Salamis, Famagusta district, Cyprus
Scripture: Acts 4:36-37 · Acts 13:1-3 · Acts 15:36-39

What the evidence confirmsA documented Byzantine-era cult of Barnabas existed here, with a monastery and a tomb-chapel that have been venerated for centuries.

What it does not proveIt does not verify the remains or the miraculous-discovery story — the AD 478 find, complete with the Gospel of Matthew on the saint's chest, is a tradition whose usefulness in securing Cypriot autocephaly is impossible to separate from its telling.

Sources & further reading