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

• Brown, pp. 53-4
• Julian, pp. 603-4
• Stulken, p. 230

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. Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ
   • Bethlehem Re­joic­es
6. Εκ νυκρος ορθριζοντες
   • Reconciliation’s Plan Devising
7. Κατήλθες έν τοίς κατωτάτοις
   • Into the Dim Earth’s Lowest Parts Descending
8. Μεγα το μυστεριον
   • Christ, We Turn Our Eyes to Thee
9. Ορθρισωμεν ορθρου βαθεος
   • Let Us Rise in Early Morn­ing
10. Ο παιδας εκ καμινου
    • Who from the Fiery Furnace Saved the Three
11. Οτερεωσον με, Χριστε.
    • On the Rock of Thy Com­mand­ments
12. Ποία τοῦ βίού τρυϕὴ διαμένει λύπης ἀμέτοχος
    • What Sweet of Life Endureth?
13. Φωτιζου, ϕωτιζου
    • Thou New Je­ru­sa­lem, Arise and Shine!
14. Τας εδρας τας αιωνιας
    • Those Eter­nal Bowers
15. Αὕτη ἥ κλητή κλητή καὶ ἁγία ἡμέρα
    • Thou Hallowed Chos­en Morn of Praise
16. Επι της θειας ϕυλακης
    • Stand on Thy Watch-Tower, Habakkuk the Seer