Otto II (bishop of Freising)

His version is not to be confused with the verse romance Barlaam und Josaphat (c.1220) of Rudolf von Ems.

[1] Otto was the son of Diepold II, Count of Berg-Schelklingen, and Gisela of the House of Andechs.

After the disputed imperial election of 1198, he initially sided with Philip of Swabia, but is later found in the following of Otto IV.

Otto often compares Barlaam to Saint Anthony the Great for their shared asceticism.

The most interesting aspect to the modern reader is Otto's description of different religions: Chaldaean "astrology and occult arts", Greek anthropomorphism, Egyptian cults of plants and animals, and euhemerism.