__NOTOC__ John Phokas ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Φωκᾶς, ''Iōánnēs Phōkâs'') or Phocas ( la, Johannes Phocas) was a 12th-century Byzantine pilgrim to the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

. He wrote an account of his travels, the so-called ''Ekphrasis'' or ''Concise Description of the Holy Places'', which has been called "the most elegant of Palestinian pilgrimage accounts". Michael Angold (2016), "The Fall of Jerusalem (1187) as Viewed from Byzantium," in Adrian J. Boas (ed.), ''The Crusader World'' (London & New York: Routledge) pp. 289–308, at 294. Doubt has recently arisen over whether Phokas was in fact the author of the ''Ekphrasis'', which has been re-attributed instead to the John Doukas who went on an imperial mission to the Holy Land in 1177. Little biographical information about Phokas is available. One manuscript of the ''Ekphrasis'' contains a note stating that he was a priest and that his father, a certain Matthew, became a monk on Patmos. According to this marginal note, his trip to the Holy Land took place in either 1177 or 1195. He is known to have accompanied Emperor ManuelI (reigned 1143–80) on an expedition to the sea off Attaleia (now Antalya). He may be the same person as the "Focas" who, according to the ''

Annales Herbipolenses Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...

'', was sent by Manuel in 1147 to guide the crusading army of King

Conrad III of Germany Conrad III (german: Konrad; it, Corrado; 1093 or 1094 – 15 February 1152) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was from 1116 to 1120 Duke of Franconia, from 1127 to 1135 anti-king of his predecessor Lothair III and from 1138 until his death in 1152 k ...

from Nicaea to

Iconium Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it D ...

. Phokas's ''Ekphrasis'' is both concise and precise. He had a rather positive attitude towards the Crusaders. In some cases he provides unique information. He describes a fanatical Saracen sect called the ''Chasisioi'' (perhaps the

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviid ...

). He calls the river Jordan "the holiest among rivers" and names three monasteries in the vicinity of site of the baptism of Jesus dedicated to Our Lady of Kalamon, John Chrysostom and John the Baptist. The latter was rebuilt, he says, by ManuelI. He also reports that Cana was nothing more than a ''kastellion'' (a small fortified settlement), that there were two monasteries (one Greek, one Latin) atop Mount Tabor, and that the site of ancient

Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...

was covered in gardens and vineyards. Besides the Bible, Phokas also quotes from such ancient authors as

Josephus Flavius Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...

and Achilles Tatius. The ''Ekphrasis'' may have been written against the pilgrimage account of

Constantine Manasses Constantine Manasses ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Μανασσῆς; c. 1130 - c. 1187) was a Byzantine chronicler who flourished in the 12th century during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). He was the author of a chronicle or historic ...

, who returned from the Holy Land disillusioned and wondering why Christ lived there. In the ''Ekphrasis'', the beauty of the places is stressed repeatedly.

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* {{Authority control 12th-century Byzantine writers Byzantine geographers Officials of Manuel I Komnenos Christians of the Second Crusade Holy Land travellers Christian pilgrimages Pilgrimage accounts 12th-century Eastern Orthodox priests

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