Venerable John of Zedazeni and His Twelve Disciples: Abibus of Nekresi, Anthony of Martqopi, David of Gareja, Zenon of Iqalto, Thaddeus of Stepantsminda, Ise of Tsilkani, Joseph of Alaverdi, Isidore of Samtavisi, Michael of Ulumbo, Piros of Breti, Stephen of Khirsa and Shio of Mgvime (VI)

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

The Venerable John of Zedazeni received his spiritual education in Antioch. While still quite young he left the deceitful world, became a monk, and went into the desert to labour. His humility, fasting and vigilance, his tears and entreaties were pleasing to the Lord, who granted His faithful servant the gift of healing diseases and casting out demons. The Venerable John became renowned for his holy life and his miracles. A great many people came to see him, and so the holy father thought it necessary to leave that place; he took some disciples, chose a remote spot, built cells, and began to labour.

Once the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to the 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. Saint John made known the command of the Mother of God to his disciples. After long fasting and prayer, at God’s prompting, he chose twelve of his disciples: Shio, David, Anthony, Ise, Joseph, Thaddeus, Stephen, Isidore, Michael, Piros, Zenon and Abibus. To those who stayed in the desert he left the monk Euthymius as their teacher in his place, and he himself set out for Georgia with the brethren.

The king and the Catholicos of Georgia 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 Pharsman and Catholicos Eulavius with the clergy came out to meet them.

With the blessing of Catholicos Eulavius Saint John settled with his disciples on Mount Zedazeni, where the idol of Zadeni had once stood. The ascetics lived in poor cells and ate only plants.

The people heard of Saint John’s miracles. Many were stirred with a sincere desire for the monastic life; many left the vain and troubled life of the world and settled at Zedazeni to labour. And so Mount Zedazeni became a dwelling of hermits.

One night the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to Saint John and commanded him to send his disciples to various regions to preach. The next day he gathered them, told them what he had seen, and said: “For the profit of this land hath the Lord our God Jesus Christ sent us forth, for the men of this country are a new planting; therefore it is meet that ye go forth each one and strengthen the brethren who have confessed Christ our Lord.”

After sending out his disciples Saint John stayed on Zedazeni, keeping with him the deacon Elias (commemorated 4 January), and took up his usual labours. The teacher and the disciple endured many hindrances and trials. Zedazeni was a waterless place. Every day the deacon Elias carried water from a great distance. Seeing his disciple’s heavy toil, Saint John asked the Lord to bring forth a spring. The good Lord heard the entreaty of the holy elder, and a healing spring rose up on the summit of the mountain.

A bear grew used to coming to the spring that had risen through Saint John’s prayer. Through Saint John’s prayer the beast became tame. After this the beasts living in the forest of Zedazeni harmed no one. Through the Venerable John’s prayer a man long paralysed and struck dumb was healed. Saint John would summon his disciples to him, and sometimes he himself would visit them to see what measure of spirituality they had attained.

After long labours the Lord revealed to Saint John that his end was near. The venerable father called his disciples, instructed them, blessed them, and left them his wish to be buried in the cave where he had laboured.

Grieving at the loss of their teacher, the disciples carried him to the monastery at the foot of Zedazeni. Suddenly the earth shook, and it did not calm down until they remembered the holy father’s wish and understood that this earthquake was a heavenly sign. Saint John’s disciples, accompanied by priests and deacons, went to their teacher’s tomb, took up the holy relics with honour, and buried them as he had wished. During the uncovering 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 tomb of Saint John of Zedazeni is by the prothesis of the church.

The holy Hieromartyr Abibus, at the request of King Pharsman VI and Catholicos Eulavius, was made Bishop of Nekresi. At that time the Persian magi were freely spreading their false teaching in eastern Georgia and turning many from the truth by force. Once, to expose the deceit 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 for the beasts to tear apart, but neither beast nor bird touched the holy martyr’s body.

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

Saint Anthony of Martqopi always carried with him the Saviour’s icon 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 miracles. Saint Anthony built a monastery for his fellow strugglers, while he himself went first beyond the Alazani and later took refuge on the mountain of Akriani. To the solitary monk, who ate herbs and the bark of trees, the Lord sent deer to give him food. Saint Anthony built a pillar on the mountain top, shut himself up on it, and laboured there for eighteen years. The venerable father was told beforehand by the Lord the day of his departure from the body. At the time of his death Father Anthony was kneeling in prayer before the icon of the Saviour. His disciples brought the body of the Venerable Anthony down from the pillar and buried it in the monastery he had founded, before the icon of the Mother of God.

Saint David of Gareja settled to labour in the new capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. Living in seclusion on a mountain that rises at the edge of the city, the monk drew many people by his wonderful preaching and holy life, and converted many fire-worshippers. The enraged magi bribed a pregnant harlot and accused Father David of committing fornication with her. The saint touched the woman’s belly with his staff and said: “Thee, O infant, I command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to make known to us whether or not I am thy father.” The infant answered the saint from its mother’s womb and pointed to another. The enraged people stoned the woman. Horrified, David, who could not stop the furious crowd, spread his cloak on the river Mtkvari, stood on it with his disciple Saint Lukian, and, in spite of the fervent entreaties of the people of Tbilisi, left the city.

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

From Ninotsminda there came to the Venerable David a monk adorned with virtues, Dodo (commemorated on the Wednesday after the Ascension), who at his teacher’s command built a monastery dedicated to the Most Holy Mother of God on a spur of the rock.

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

After a long and God-pleasing life Father David died and was buried there, in the monastery of Gareja.

Saint Ise of Tsilkani was consecrated Bishop of Tsilkani by Catholicos Eulavius on Father John’s advice. The venerable father “converted many unbelievers by his teaching, and spread instruction and preaching throughout his flock.” Once the Venerable John decided to test his disciples in virtue and spirituality. 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 as I lead thee, and follow me wherever I go.” A stream of water separated from the river and followed the staff of the Venerable Ise. The venerable father brought the water as far as the cathedral of Tsilkani. This miracle converted many people to the law of Christ.

Saint Ise learned beforehand from the Lord the day of his departure from the body; he received the Holy Mysteries and with prayer commended his soul to the Lord. The holy father was buried there, in the church of the Mother of God 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 of Kakheti, and at last chose the desert of Alaverdi and began to labour there. Once, when the monk was all alone, he met a noble out hunting and preached the word of God to him. Rejoicing at Father Joseph’s grace-filled teaching, the noble laid the foundation of the Alaverdi monastery. The people heard of the ascetic monk and began to come to see the wonderful father and hear his teaching. Many stayed there. In time the number of desert-dwellers grew and made up a great community.

Worn out by long labour and toil, Abba Joseph appointed a superior for his disciples and reposed in God. He was buried in the church of Alaverdi, which he had built. Many miracles take place at Abba Joseph’s tomb.

Saint Shio of Mgvime laboured in a cave among the rocks of Sarkineti. The Most Holy Mother of God Herself blessed the monk labouring in that wild place. This was seen by Evagrius, the prince of Tsikhedidi (commemorated 4 February), who was hunting on the mountain of Sarkineti; he visited the wonderful monk and became his disciple. Soon the place was filled with desert-dwelling fathers. Saint Shio founded a monastery in 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. The 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, east of the 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 in Urbnisi. Then he shut himself up in a cave on Mount Tlevi (near Kaspi). He died and is buried there.

Saint Stephen of Khirsa preached in Kakheti 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 founded a monastery in Iqalto and laboured there until his death. He is buried in the church of the Saviour’s icon not made by hands.

Saint Piros of Breti, “a 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 wonderworking holy relics rest.

In the lavras and monasteries founded by the holy Syrian fathers the sons of the Georgians were trained in mind and morals; from these deserts grace and blessing spread over the Georgian people. These monasteries and the holy fathers who founded them became the protectors of the Georgians and their defenders against lawlessness and depravity.