Mansour ibn Sarjun, the name of Saint John, was born around the year 655 AD in Damascus, the capital of the Umayyads at that time, from an ancient and rich family, known for its virtue, love of knowledge, and its political and social standing. Sarjun, John’s father, and Mansour, his grandfather, worked to manage the funds of the Umayyad caliphs and collect Tax from Christians. It seems that Mansour, in his early youth, held this position for a period of time. Saint John of Damascus.

From an early age, Mansour acquired an important literary, philosophical, and religious culture: his biography told us that his teacher was a monk from the island of Sicily, a prisoner of war whose father bought him, then liberated him (emancipated him), and entrusted him with teaching his two sons: the first, Mansour, and the second, Qazma, his adopted son. He mastered Greek, the language of the upper class of highly educated people, and the Syriac language, the language of the people used in liturgy, and although all of his writings that have reached us were in Greek, it is certain that he also knew Arabic, the language of his original family.

As soon as Sargon, his father, died, the latter took his father’s place in managing state funds, while his teacher’s dwarf and his adopted brother’s dwarf assumed monastic life in Siq Mar Saba. Then Mansour - who was about thirty years old - and for reasons that we do not know and which may be political - soon left his position and joined his teacher, Qazma, and his brother in the Mar Saba neighborhood as well. There he loved the ascetic life and began to delve deeper into theology at the hands of the Jerusalem Patriarch John IV (706-734), who often asked him to deliver sermons and speeches in Jerusalem. There he took the name John - perhaps after his teacher, the Patriarch -.

At that time (around the year 725), a heresy arose that fought the veneration of holy icons. Claiming that this honor is merely pagan worship. John, with all his strength and culture, defended adherence to prostration to holy icons, explaining that this prostration is merely a tribute to the people represented in the icons, and is not at all the worship of images. He did all of this, “even though he was not yet among the ranks of the Holy Allegiance.”

In this regard, his biography tells us that King Leo, who hated holy icons, because of his hatred towards John, falsely accused him of treason, which caused him to have his hand cut off. All John had to do was enter his room and “cast his entire body on the ground in front of the icon of the Glorious Lady, the One with unrestrained intercessions. He pressed his severed palm to his elbow and begged her from the depths of his heart, and his eyes overflowed with burning tears that rolled down his chest, saying: O holy, pure Lady, Mother of God. Our God, the Eternal Word, through His incarnation from your pure blood due to His great love for the human race, I ask you to entreat Him on my behalf... to restore my hand to what it was in the beginning, perfect, healthy from all pain and cuts, and healthy, and to show your servant your great compassion (sic) so that my tongue does not become invalid. I lived from your praise, because you are capable of what I asked you to do.” “And then his eyes fell asleep and he saw the woman with compassion in her shape and form, looking at him with her side and saying to him: Your hand has been spared, so fulfill your vow to your God, and do not delay your vow. He woke up with happy joy, and stood on his feet, praying and giving thanks. And chant for the time that suits the speed of his response to his plea and the way he recovered at his hour.” The icon of the Virgin with three hands is a symbol of the aforementioned miracle.

On the basis of that campaign that John launched against those who abhorred holy icons, laying firm and final foundations for this honor, Emperor Constantine (Kepronim) held a council in the year 754, from which the most important invitees (the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem) were absent, as those present categorically refused to honor the holy icons and decided that all Whoever violates this is considered a rebel against the commandments of God and an enemy who violates the doctrines specified in this council (Hiera) composed of 338 bishops. Then they excommunicated the most famous of those who defended this honor, i.e. George of Cyprus, Germanus of Constantinople, and Mansur ibn Sargon - “that ill-fated name who teaches Mohammedan opinions.”

However, the Second Naive Council in 787, after it decided to honor the holy icons, restored their dignity to those deprived at the thieves’ council of Hiera in the year 754, “an eternal mercy for Germanus, John, and George, the heroes of the truth... The Trinity has glorified all three of them.”

John was secluded in his cell, in the valley of Mar Saba, composing with his brother Cosmas the religious hymns and laws that the Church still sings to this day. His flow was so abundant that he later deserved to be called “the stream of gold.” Then divine providence wanted Cosmos to be elected bishop of Mayum, known today as Melems (near Gaza), and John was repeatedly asked to be ordained a priest. He refused every time, until “the Patriarch of the Holy House summoned him and ordained him a priest against his will, but rather by forcing him too much, he overcame his opinion.” When he returned from there to Al-Siq, he increased his rituals and his labors. And he turned to the classification of his sayings that traveled to the farthest parts of the world.

Historians consider that his ordination was completed by the hands of Patriarch John V of Jerusalem (735).

Saint John of Damascus probably died in the year 749 in his aforementioned monastery, after spending a long life in asceticism and writing. He was buried there and his grave remained known and honored until the twelfth century. Then his bones were apparently transferred to Constantinople. He had hardly died before the fame of His Holiness John of Damascus spread, and the people began to honor him, sing his liturgical compositions, and refer to his theological books...

His writings:

1. Fountain of knowledge: It is divided into
   1. Philosophy and Logic: It discusses philosophical challenges, explains the role of philosophy in relation to theology, and is considered an introduction to the following parts
   2. Most heresies and their cause..
   3. Orthodox Faithfulness, Orthodox Faith, and One Hundred Articles on the Orthodox Faith. It includes a presentation of the most important doctrines.
2. Summary of the Antioch Orthodox Secretariat: Written by Elijah, Metropolitan of Yabrud
3. An article about the Trinity, which is in the form of a question and answer
4. An article about “Holy, Holy, Holy” shows that this prayer is directed to the three hypostases and not to the Son alone.
5. A general introduction to the doctrines: written by him - and collected by his disciples - to John, the Metropolitan of Latakia
6. Three articles in defense of holy icons: written between the years 726 and 730 after the issuance of the decree against honoring holy icons.
7. An article against a Jacobite bishop: in which he rejects the views and principles of the Jacobites, especially their statement that there is one nature in Christ.
8. An article against Manichaeism: It is in the form of a dialogue between an Orthodox and a Manichaean to show the errors of dualism.
9. A debate between a Muslim and a Christian: defending the doctrine of incarnation and rejecting the theory of predestination.
10. Essay against witches.
11. An essay on complex nature: a rejection of the views of those who believe in one nature.
12. An article about the fact that Christ has two wills: It is a response to those who say that Christ has one will.
13. Essay against the Nestorians: Those who say that Christ has two persons as well as two natures.
14. John the Orthodox's polemic: with Manichaeus he rejects the ideas of Mani
15. An author explaining the Epistles of Saint Paul. He was inspired by the writings of John Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria.
16. A short article about fasting
17. Essay on bad spirits
18. An essay on virtues and vices.
19. Sermons: On the Dormition of Our Lady, about the birth of Our Lady, about the Transfiguration, about the withered fig tree that Jesus cursed, and about the Great Saturday……………. etc.
20. Liturgical compositions and religious chants

Wider information and more information about the life of Saint John can be found in the History section >> History of the Church until the Ninth Century >> “John Damascus, the gold rusher“

Our Orthodox Church celebrates his memory on the fourth of December.

Troparia in the eighth tune
You appeared, O contemplative John, a guide to the upright faith, and a teacher of good worship and purity, O star of the inhabited world, and the beauty of the wise high priests, and with your teachings you enlightened all, O musician of the soul, interceding with Christ God to save our souls.

And also Troyaria in the eighth tune
Come, let us praise the singing, melodious nightingale, who sung the Church of Christ and delighted it with his beautifully melodious, melodious songs. By him I mean John of Damascus, the all-wise, the leader of the hymns who was filled with divine and universal wisdom.

Qandaq with the fourth tune
Let us praise, O believers, the writer of hymns, the teacher and lamp of the Church, the venerable John, the one who opposes the enemies, because he bore the weapon of the Cross of the Lord, thus confronting with it the error of all the innovators, and since he is a fervent intercessor with God, he grants forgiveness of transgressions to all.

Another song with the second tune
You tamed your body and humiliated it with toil during the many labors of asceticism, O righteous father, so you soared to heavenly heights, and in it you were given divine melodies and you sang them publicly for the Lord’s loved ones.