He was the author of a life of Joannes Damascenus, Βίος τοῦ ὁδίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Δαμαδκηνοῦ δυγγραφεὶς παρὰ Ἰωάννου πατριόρχου Ἱεροδολύμων, Vita sancti Patris nostri Joannis Damasceni a Joanne Patriarcha Hierosolymitano conscripta. The life is a translation from the Arabic, or at least founded upon an Arabic biography; and was written a considerable time after the death of Damascenus, which occurred about A. D. 756, or perhaps later [DAMASCENUS JOANNES], and after the cessation of the Iconoclastic contest, which may be regarded as having terminated on the death of the emperor Theophilus, A. D. 842. But we have no data for determining how long after these events the author lived. Le Quien identifies him with a Joannes, patriarch of Jerusalem, who was burnt alive by the Saracens in the latter part of the reign (A. D. 963-969) of Nicephorus Phocas, upon suspicion that he had excited that emperor to attack them. (Cedrenus, Compend. p. 661, ed. Paris, vol. ii. p. 374, ed. Bonn.)
William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. London. John Murray: printed by Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square and Parliament Street. In the article on Soranus, we find: "at this present time (1848)" and this date seems to reflect the dates of works cited. 1873 - probably the printing date.
