ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rabban Bar Sauma

Okay, kiddo! Rabban Bar Sauma was a really cool guy who lived a long, long time ago in a faraway place called China. He was born in the year 1220 and he was a Christian who became a monk when he grew up.

Now, back in those days, people didn't have planes or cars, so traveling from one country to another was really hard. But that didn't stop Rabban Bar Sauma! He wanted to go on a big adventure and visit other countries to learn new things and meet new people. So he decided to go all the way from China to a place called Europe!

It was a really, really long journey. Rabban Bar Sauma had to walk on foot, ride on horseback, and sail on boats for over three years! Can you imagine how tired he must have been? But he didn't give up.

When he finally reached Europe, he met lots of important people, including kings and queens. They were really impressed by him because he was so different from them. He had a long beard and wore strange clothes, and he spoke in a language they had never heard before.

Rabban Bar Sauma had a special mission when he visited Europe. He wanted to talk to the leaders there and convince them not to fight with each other anymore. He thought that if they all got along and worked together, that would be much better for everyone.

He also brought back lots of souvenirs and stories from his travels, like exotic spices, beautiful fabrics, and amazing sights he had seen. People were really fascinated by him and his adventures.

So that's the story of Rabban Bar Sauma, the Chinese monk who traveled all the way to Europe to spread a message of peace and friendship. He was a very brave and smart man, and we can all learn a lot from him!