Venerable David of Gareja

Venerable David of Gareja was one of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers who came to Georgia in the mid-6th century and founded Georgian monasticism. A relative and disciple of St John of Zedazeni, he received the blessing of St Symeon the Stylite and came with the other fathers to Mount Zedazeni near Mtskheta. When John sent his disciples to preach throughout the country, David settled near Tbilisi on Mount Mtatsminda (also called Mamadaviti, "Father David"), where his cave survives; with his disciple Lucian he went down into the city every Thursday to preach.

David and Lucian then withdrew to the semi-desert of Gareja, about 70 km from Tbilisi, living in caves, drinking rainwater and, according to the Life, fed on the milk of deer. Bubakar, eristavi of Rustavi, converted after a miracle and cut a church of the Transfiguration in the rock; around the hermits' caves grew the monastery later known as the Lavra of David Gareja. According to the Life, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem David humbly did not enter the city and took three stones from a hill overlooking it; one of them, the Stone of Grace, remained at Gareja. He died on a Thursday after the Ascension and was buried in the Transfiguration church. He is commemorated on 7 (20) May with St John of Zedazeni and his disciples, and on the Thursday after the Ascension.