Joshua the Stylite was a 6th-century saint and historian whose written work provides a vital account of the conflict between the Byzantine Empire and Persia. Living around the time of the wars between 502 and 506, he is believed to have been an eyewitness to many events in Edessa. His historical writing is noted for its reliability and its sophisticated analysis of human, economic, and divine factors. Because of his advanced approach to historical causation, some scholars have referred to him as the Syriac Thucydides.