DAMASCENUS, JOHN, an illustrious father of the church in the 8th century, born at Damascus, where his father, though a Christian, enjoyed the office of counsellor of state to the Saracen caliph; to which he succeeded. He retired afterwards to the monastery of St Sabas, and spent the remainder of his life in writing books of divinity. His works have been often printed: but the Paris edition in 1712, two vols folio, is esteemed the best.