John bar Penkaye (Syriac: ܝܘܚܢܢ ܒܪ ܦܢܟܝ̈ܐ Yōḥannān bar Penkāyē) was a writer of the late seventh century who was a member of the Church of the East. He lived at the time of the fifth Umayyad caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.
His surname indicates that his parents came from Feneq, on the Tigris east of Tur Abdin. He was a monk at the monastery of Mar John of Kamul, and later at the monastery of Mar Bassima. Later writers confuse him with John Saba of Dalyatha.[1]
John bar Penkaye's writings provides an eyewitness account of the early Muslim conquests of his time.
A number of his works are still in existence. Most of them have never been published and are extant only in manuscripts.
This is in 15 books.