Elias the Deacon

Saint Elias the Deacon was a monk of the 6th century, one of the Syrian fathers who brought monasticism to Georgia. He came from Antioch to Kartli and was the closest disciple of Venerable John of Zedazeni; he lived with him on Mount Zedazeni, near the ancient capital Mtskheta. When John received in a dream from the Mother of God and Saint Nino the command to send his disciples to found monasteries in eastern Georgia, he kept Elias with him, since he was "a comfort and support in his weakness".

The mountain had no spring, and Elias went down every day to the river Aragvi for water. Seeing the disciple's hard labor, John prayed to God and a spring with healing water burst forth on the summit. Animals came there too, among them a bear of unusual size; John told it that neither it nor its kind should ever harm anyone, and from then on the beasts touched no one on the mountain. Elias accompanied John when he visited his disciples, and witnessed the miracles they worked. He was present at John's death and, after his repose, became abbot of Zedazeni. He was buried near John and was numbered among the saints in ancient times. He is commemorated on 4 January (old style; 17 January new style), with the twelve Syrian fathers.