Of a good fam­i­ly in Da­mas­cus, John was ed­u­cat­ed by the el­der Cos­mas, along with his fos­ter bro­ther, Cos­mas the Mel­o­dist. He held some of­fice un­der the Ca­liph, and lat­er re­tired to the lau­ra of St. Sa­bas, near Je­ru­sa­lem, along his fos­ter bro­ther. There he wrote his the­o­lo­gi­cal works and hymns, and was or­dained a priest of the church of Je­ru­sa­lem late in life. His en­e­mies called him Man­sur, for rea­sons un­known. His three ora­tions in favor of icons earned him the so­bri­quets Chry­sor­rhous and The Doc­tor of Christ­ian Art. His works in­clude:

• Πηγη γνωασεως

Sources

Lyrics

1. Αισωμεν πάντες Λαοί
   • Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain
2. Αναστασεως ημερα
   • Day of Resurrection, The
3. Δεῦτε πόμα πίωμεν
   • Come, and Let Us Drink of That New River
4. Δευτε τελευταιον ασπασμον δωμεν
   • Take the Last Kiss
5. Εκ νυκρος ορθριζοντες
   • Reconciliation’s Plan Devising
6. Κατήλθες έν τοίς κατωτάτοις
   • Into the Dim Earth’s Lowest Parts Descending
7. Μεγα το μυστεριον
   • Christ, We Turn Our Eyes to Thee
8. Ορθρισωμεν ορθρου βαθεος
   • Let Us Rise in Early Morn­ing
9. Ο παιδας εκ καμινου
   • Who from the Fiery Furnace Saved the Three
10. Οτερεωσον με, Χριστε.
    • On the Rock of Thy Commandments
11. Ποία τοῦ βίού τρυϕὴ διαμένει λύπης ἀμέτοχος
    • What Sweet of Life Endureth?
12. Φωτιζου, ϕωτιζου
    • Thou New Jerusalem, Arise and Shine!
13. Τας εδρας τας αιωνιας
    • Those Eternal Bowers
14. Αὕτη ἥ κλητή κλητή καὶ ἁγία ἡμέρα
    • Thou Hallowed Chosen Morn of Praise
15. Επι της θειας ϕυλακης
    • Stand on Thy watch-tower, Habakkuk the Seer