Hilarion the Iberian

Hilarion the Iberian (c. 822–875) was a Georgian monk from the Kakheti region and bishop of David Gareja. He was considered a thaumaturgus and is venerated as a saint. His vita was composed after his death on Mount Athos by the followers of Euthymius of Athos. The extant texts date from the 10th and 11th centuries. According to the vita, Hilarion visited the Holy Land and traveled with his followers through Palestine and Syria. He visited Mount Tabor, the Jordan River, and the Lavra of Saint Sabas. Hilarion stayed there for seven years, living in a cave and leading a monastic hermitage. Later, in 864, he founded a monastery on Mount Olympus, possibly identified as the "Lavra of Krania," which largely housed his Georgian compatriots. The church at various times sheltered John the Iberian, Euthymius of Athos, and Tornike Eristavi. Hilarion died in Thessaloniki.