John the Iberian | |
|---|---|
 Fresco of John the Iberian at Iviron on Mount Athos | |
| Athonite Father | |
| Born | Kingdom of the Iberians |
| Died | ~1002 AD Mount Athos |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | July 12 |
| Patronage | Georgia Mount Athos |
John the Iberian[a] (Georgian: იოანე მთაწმინდელი; died c. 1002) was a Georgian monk, who is venerated as a saint. His name refers to his origins from the Kingdom of the Iberians.
A member of a Georgian noble family from Tao-Klarjeti in southern Georgia,[1] he was married and served as a military commander.
After becoming tonsured as a monk early 960s at the lavra of the Four Churches in Tao-Klarjeti, he became a monk at Mount Olympus (now Uludağ) in Bithynia and then traveled to Constantinople to rescue his son, Euthymius the Illuminator (Euthymius Opplyseren).[1] Euthymius had been held as a hostage by the emperor.[2]
John and his son attracted many followers, so they both retired to the monastery of Saint Athanasius on Mount Athos. They founded Iviron monastery with the help of John’s brother-in-law, John Thornikos, a retired general. John served as the first abbot of Iviron. He died in 1002.[3]