Venerable John of Zedazeni and His Twelve Disciples: Abibus of Nekresi, Anthony of Martqopi, David of Gareji, Zenon of Iqalto, Thaddeus of Stepantsminda, Ise of Tsilkani, Joseph of Alaverdi, Isidore of Samtavisi, Michael of Ulumbo, Pyrrhus of Breti, Stephen of Khirsa and Shio of Mgvime (6th c.)

Venerable John of Zedazeni and his twelve disciples — Abibus of Nekresi, Anthony of Martqopi, David of Gareji, Zenon of Iqalto, Thaddeus of Stepantsminda, Ise of Tsilkani, Joseph of Alaverdi, Isidore of Samtavisi, Michael of Ulumbo, Pyrrhus of Breti, Stephen of Khirsa and Shio of Mgvime — were Syrian ascetics who revived monastic life in Georgia and established it firmly.

Venerable John of Zedazeni received his spiritual education in Antioch. While still quite young he left the deceitful world, was tonsured a monk and went into the desert for ascetic struggle. His humility, fasting and vigil, his tears and supplications were pleasing to the Lord, and to His faithful servant He granted the gift of healing sicknesses and casting out demons. Venerable John became renowned for his holy life and his wonders. A great many people went to see him, so the holy father thought it necessary to withdraw from that place; he took some of his disciples, chose a remote spot, built cells and began to labour there.

Once the All-holy Theotokos appeared to Venerable John and commanded him to choose twelve monks from among his disciples and go with them to Georgia, to strengthen the law of Christ there. Saint John told his disciples of the Theotokos’ command. After long fasting and prayer, at God’s indication, he chose twelve of his disciples: Shio, David, Anthony, Ise, Joseph, Thaddeus, Stephen, Isidore, Michael, Pyrrhus, Zenon and Abibus. For those who remained in the desert he left the elder Euthymius as their spiritual father in his place, and set out himself with the brethren for Georgia.

The king of Georgia and the catholicos were told by an angel of the coming to Georgia of the holy fathers who had shone forth in Mesopotamia. As the fathers drew near to Mtskheta, King Parsman and Catholicos Evlavius went out with the clergy to meet them.

With the blessing of Catholicos Evlavius, Saint John settled with his disciples on Mount Zedazeni, where the idol Zaden had stood in earlier times. The ascetics lived in poor cells and ate nothing but plants.

The people heard of Saint John’s wonders. In many a sincere longing for the monastic life was awakened; many left the vain and troubled life of the world and settled on Zedazeni for ascetic labour. In this way Mount Zedazeni became a dwelling of hermits.

One night the All-holy Theotokos appeared to Saint John and commanded him to send his disciples out to various regions to preach. The next day he gathered them, told them what he had seen, and said: “For the benefit of this land has the Lord our God Jesus Christ sent us, for the people of this country are a new planting; therefore it is fitting that you go, each of you, and strengthen the brethren who have confessed Christ our Lord.”

When he had sent his disciples off, Saint John remained on Zedazeni, keeping with him the deacon Elijah (commemorated on the 4th of January), and gave himself to his usual labours. Teacher and disciple endured much opposition and many trials. Zedazeni was a waterless place. Every day the deacon Elijah carried water from far away. Seeing his disciple’s hard toil, Saint John asked the Lord for a spring to rise. The good Lord heard the holy elder’s prayer, and a healing spring rose on the summit of the mountain.

A bear took to coming to the spring that had risen at Saint John’s prayer. Through Saint John’s prayer the beast was tamed. After this the wild animals that lived in the forest of Zedazeni did no harm to any person. Through Venerable John’s prayer a man long paralysed and struck dumb was healed. Saint John would summon his disciples to him, and sometimes visited them himself, and tested what measure of spiritual life they had reached.

After long labours it was revealed to Saint John by the Lord that his end was near. The venerable father called his disciples, instructed them, blessed them, and charged them to bury him in the cave where he had laboured.

Grieved at their parting from their teacher, the disciples carried him to the monastery at the foot of Zedazeni. Suddenly the earth shook, and it did not grow still until they remembered the holy father’s instructions and understood that this earthquake was a sign from heaven. The disciples of Saint John, accompanied by priests and deacons, came to their teacher’s grave, raised the holy relics with honour and buried them as he had instructed. During the raising of the holy relics many sick and possessed people were healed.

In the tenth century, in the time of Catholicos Clement (908–923), a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was built to the south of the cave. The grave of Saint John of Zedazeni is by the prothesis of the church.

The holy hieromartyr Abibus was appointed bishop of Nekresi at the request of King Parsman VI and Catholicos Evlavius. At that time the Persian magi were freely spreading their false teaching in eastern Georgia and by force turning many away from the truth. Once, to expose the cunning of the fire-worshippers, the holy hierarch Abibus poured water on the fire burning on their altar and put it out. The enraged Persians seized Saint Abibus and beat him cruelly, and then stoned him to death. By order of the marzpan the saint’s body was thrown out under the open sky to be torn by wild beasts, but neither beast nor bird touched the holy martyr’s body.

By night the Christians who lived in Rekha came and buried the hierarch’s body with great honour in the monastery of Samtavisi. Later Stephanoz, the erismtavari of Kartli, translated the incorrupt relics of Saint Abibus from Samtavisi to the Samtavro monastery in Mtskheta and buried them beneath the holy altar table.

Saint Anthony of Martqopi always carried with him the icon of the Saviour not made by hands, which he had brought from Edessa. The holy father, a lover of solitude, drew many Christians to himself by his grace-filled prayer and his wonders. Saint Anthony built a monastery for his fellow strugglers, while he himself went first beyond the Alazani and then took refuge on Mount Akriani. To the solitary elder, who fed on grasses and the bark of trees, the Lord sent deer to give him food. Saint Anthony built a pillar on the summit of the mountain, shut himself up there and laboured on it for eighteen years. The day of his departure from the body was made known to the venerable father beforehand by the Lord. At his death Father Anthony was kneeling in prayer before the icon of the Saviour. His disciples brought the body of Venerable Anthony down from the pillar and buried it in the monastery he had founded, before the icon of the Theotokos.

Saint David of Gareji settled for his ascetic labours in Tbilisi, the new capital of Georgia. Living in seclusion on a mountain that rose at the edge of the city, the elder drew many people by his wondrous preaching and holy life, and converted many fire-worshippers. The enraged magi bribed a pregnant harlot and accused Father David of fornication with her. The saint touched the woman’s womb with his staff and said: “Thee, O infant, I command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to tell us whether I am thy father.” From its mother’s womb the infant answered the saint and pointed to another man. The enraged people stoned the woman. Horrified, David, who had not been able to stop the furious crowd, spread his cloak on the river Mtkvari, stood upon it with his disciple, Saint Lukiane, and, despite the fervent entreaties of the people of Tbilisi, left the city.

Father David and Lukiane settled in the desert of Gareji. The Lord miraculously provided food for the ascetics. Every day except Wednesday and Friday deer came to them; Lukiane milked them, Father David made the sign of the cross over the milk, and it turned into cheese. The whole country heard of the wonders of the fathers of Gareji, and soon “there settled there multitudes of men who delighted in the life of the desert”.

From Ninotsminda there came to Venerable David the elder Dodo, adorned with virtues (commemorated on the Wednesday after the Ascension), who at his teacher’s command built a monastery dedicated to the All-holy Theotokos on a spur of the rock.

Some time later Venerable David went to worship in Jerusalem. Because of his unworthiness the elder would not go into the holy city; he prayed long and fervently at the gate, then took three stones from that place and carried them away to Georgia as holy things. That night an angel of the Lord appeared to Elias, the patriarch of Jerusalem, and told him that Father David, who had come from Georgia, was carrying away by his faith all the grace of Jerusalem. Men sent by the patriarch took two of the stones from Father David, but the third the holy elder brought to Georgia.

After a long life pleasing to God, Father David reposed and was buried there, in the monastery of Gareji.

Saint Ise of Tsilkani was consecrated bishop of Tsilkani by Catholicos Evlavius on the advice of Father John. The venerable father “converted many unbelievers by his teaching, and spread instruction and preaching among his flock”. Once Venerable John decided to test his disciples in virtue and in the life of the spirit. Saint Ise went down to the bank of the river Ksani, made the sign of the cross over the river, then touched it with his staff and said: “In the name of the Lord I command thee: flow after me and follow me wherever I go.” A stream of water parted from the river and followed Venerable Ise’s staff. The venerable father brought the water as far as the cathedral of Tsilkani. This wonder turned many people to the law of Christ.

Saint Ise learned beforehand from the Lord the day of his departure from the body, received the Holy Mysteries, and with prayer committed his soul to the Lord. The holy father was buried there, in the church of the Theotokos at Tsilkani.

Saint Joseph of Alaverdi always carried with him a cross made from the wood of the Saviour’s Life-giving Cross. With the blessing of Saint John of Zedazeni he preached in various places in Kakheti, and at last chose the desert of Alaverdi and began his labours there. Once the elder, living entirely alone, met a nobleman out hunting, to whom he preached the word of God. Gladdened by Father Joseph’s grace-filled teaching, the nobleman laid the foundations of the monastery of Alaverdi. The people heard of the ascetic elder and began to come to see the wondrous father and hear his teaching. Many stayed there. In time the number of desert-dwellers grew and they formed a large community.

Worn out by his long labours and toil, Abba Joseph appointed a superior for his disciples and reposed in God. He was buried in the church of Alaverdi that he had built. Many wonders take place at the grave of Abba Joseph.

Saint Shio of Mgvime laboured in a cave among the rocks of Sarkineti. The elder who laboured in that desert place was blessed by the All-holy Theotokos herself. Evagrius, the ruler of Tsikhedidi, who was hunting on the mountain of Sarkineti, saw this (he is commemorated on the 4th of February); he visited the wondrous elder and became his disciple. Soon those parts were filled with fathers of the desert. Saint Shio founded a monastery at Sarkineti and gathered two thousand monks. Saint Shio vowed to spend the rest of his life in a cave. He dug a cave in his own monastery and went down into it. Venerable Shio laboured in the cave for fifteen years.

Saint Isidore of Samtavisi, with his teacher’s blessing, preached in Kartli for a long time. Then, to the east of Rekhula, he founded the monastery of Samtavisi, dedicated to the Saviour’s icon not made by hands. His disciples buried the venerable father in the monastery he had founded.

Saint Thaddeus of Stepantsminda laboured at first in Mtskheta. He built a monastery at the foot of Zedazeni. The saint preached in Kartli, where he built many churches, among them the church of the holy Protomartyr Stephen at Urbnisi. Then he shut himself up in a cave on Mount Tslevi (near Kaspi). There he reposed, and there he is buried.

Saint Stephen of Khirsa preached in Kakheti together with his fellow strugglers. He is buried in the church of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, by the prothesis.

Saint Zenon of Iqalto preached in the mountains of Kakheti; then he founded a monastery at Iqalto and laboured there until his death. He is buried in the church of the Saviour’s icon not made by hands.

Saint Pyrrhus of Breti, “the divine image of repentance”, founded a monastery at Breti, on the left bank of the river Jvaristsqali. His holy relics are buried in this monastery.

Saint Michael of Ulumbo preached in Upper Kartli and Ossetia. Near Ulumbo he founded a great monastery. There his wonder-working holy relics rest.

In the lavras and monasteries founded by the holy Syrian fathers the sons of Georgia were trained in mind and in character; from these deserts grace and blessing poured out upon the Georgian people. These monasteries and the holy fathers who founded them became the protectors of the Georgians and their defenders against godlessness and vice.