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Order this bundle →Names, titles and the surviving evidence
John the Presbyter in Documentary Sources
Greek documents and manuscripts of the tenth and eleventh centuries
What do the documents actually say about John the presbyter?
Eight dossiers trace the designation through Greek colophons and Athonite acts. The study distinguishes namesakes, scribal roles and later copies, with particular attention to the documents of 984–985 and the disciple of Euthymios in 1012.
27pages per edition8dossiers5illustrated sourcesPDFPDF only
English PDF edition
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Monograph + documentary study
$19.90The Mystery of Prester John in Georgian (125 pages) + the documentary study in English (27 pages) — 2 PDFs.
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Abstract
This study brings together eight dossiers in which the name John is associated with the ecclesiastical title presbyter. Colophons, Athonite acts and subscriptions are examined through their dates, transmission and documentary roles. Five source objects are illustrated. Facsimile observations are distinguished from readings available only through editions. The evidence establishes historical uses of the designation, while leaving the proposed connection with the Prester John legend to be demonstrated separately.
Some subscriptions are known here through critical editions quoted by PmbZ; their photographs were not available for direct examination. The study identifies these cases and provides an exact register for further verification. Eight dossiers are not presented as an exhaustive list of every historical John called presbyter.
The documentary corpus
Inside the study
The copied Paris colophon, the Tragos signatory and the abbot of Xerokastron.
The Hierissos witness, Euthymios’s disciple and John the grammatikos.
Lavra and Paris colophons, Greek transcriptions and translated commentary.
Suggested citation
Kavtaradze, Giorgi. John the Presbyter in Documentary Sources. Tbilisi: Kavtaradze Historical Research & Licensing, 2026.
Enquire about publication or institutional rights →Read alongside the monograph
Explore The Mystery of Prester John for the wider Georgian hypothesis and historical narrative. This documentary study is a separate publication, available in both Georgian and English.
The Mystery of Prester John →