John I

John I, the first patriarch (bishop) of Kartli in the 320s–360s.

According to The Conversion of Kartli, at the request of King Mirian, Emperor Constantine sent “John the Bishop, two priests and one deacon” to Kartli, and according to Leonti Mroveli: “He sent the true priest John as bishop, and with him two priests and three deacons”. Those who came to Kartli baptized King Mirian, Queen Nana, their household, nobles and “every nation”. John I brought to Erusheti the holy nails with which the hands of the Lord were nailed to the cross and the sacred relics of the cross on which the Lord was crucified. He also left the planks of the cross to which the hands and feet of the Lord were nailed during his crucifixion in Manglisi, where he laid the foundation for the construction of a church. Under his care, prayer crosses were erected; he participated in the establishment of the Mtskheta bishopric and, took part in the conversion of the mountain population to the Christian faith together with Saint Nino. According to The Conversion of Kartli, John I, died during the reign of King Bakuri and was succeeded by Jacob as bishop.

 

Source: ლეონტი მროველი, ცხოვ­რება ქართველთა მეფეთა, წგ.: ქართლის ცხოვრება, ს. ყაუხჩი­შვი­ლის გამოც., ტ. 1, თბ., 1955; „მოქცევა" ქართლისაჲ", შატბერდის კრებული X საუკუნისა, ბ. გიგინეი­შვი­ლისა და ელ. გიუნა­შვი­ლის გამოც., თბ., 1979.

Literature: სა­ქარ­თვე­ლოს კათოლიკოს-პატრიარქები, რედ. რ. მეტრეველი, თბ., 2000.

 

T. Margvelashvili