Person New Testament
Joseph
Also known as Barsabbas =ESV, NIV; Barsabas =KJV, Justus
Joseph, also called Barsabbas or Justus, was considered as a replacement for Judas among the apostles. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Acts 1:23.
Why it matters. Candidate to replace Judas as apostle
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Joseph
Joseph, also known as Barsabbas or Justus, was one of the candidates proposed to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostle after Judas' betrayal and death (Act.1.23). He was one of the men who had accompanied the apostles during Jesus' entire ministry, from the time of John's baptism until Jesus' ascension (Act.1.21-22). The apostles prayed for God's guidance and cast lots between Joseph and Matthias. The lot fell to Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles (Act.1.24-26). The double names "Barsabbas" and "Justus" suggest that Joseph was known by multiple names. "Barsabbas" likely means "son of the Sabbath," while "Justus" is a Roman surname meaning "righteous" or "just."
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Acts (1 verse)