David the Dendrite
Encyclopedia
David the Dendrite also known as David the tree-dweller and David of Thessalonika, is a patron saint
of Thessaloniki
and a renowned holy fool. Originally from Mesopotamia, David became a monk at the Monastery of Saints Merkourios
and Theodore
outside Thessaloniki. Famed for his sound advice, crowds would hound him for words of wisdom and prayer. Wishing a quiet, contemplative life, David fled to the seclusion of an almond tree, where he lived for three years. He left the tree to petition the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great
in Constantinople
to send soldiers to defend Thessaloniki from attack. David died in 540 as his ship was in route to Macedonia.
David is commemorated on June 26 (by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church) and on July 17.
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
and a renowned holy fool. Originally from Mesopotamia, David became a monk at the Monastery of Saints Merkourios
Merkourios
Merkourios is a biannual open access peer-reviewed law journal covering international and European law. Merkourios is affiliated with Utrecht University and Urios. Each issue of Merkourios is devoted to a specific theme chosen by the editorial board...
and Theodore
Theodore
-The name:*Includes the etymology of the name and a longer list of people whose full name includes some version of the name Theodore.-Ancient people:*Theodorus of Samos, inventor and architect*Theodorus of Cyrene, mathematician...
outside Thessaloniki. Famed for his sound advice, crowds would hound him for words of wisdom and prayer. Wishing a quiet, contemplative life, David fled to the seclusion of an almond tree, where he lived for three years. He left the tree to petition the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to send soldiers to defend Thessaloniki from attack. David died in 540 as his ship was in route to Macedonia.
David is commemorated on June 26 (by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church) and on July 17.
Further reading
- Velimirovic, Nicholas. The Prologue from Ochrid, vol. 2. Birmingham: Lazarica Press, 1986
External links
- God's Foolishness, a discussion of holy fools, including David the Dendrite