John bar Penkaye

Who is John bar Penkaye?

John bar Penkaye, was an East Syriac Nestorian Christian writer of the late 7th century. He lived at the time of fifth caliph of the Umayyad dynasty Abd al-Malik.

His surname indicates that his parents came from Feneq, on the Tigris. He was a monk at the monastery of Mar John of Kamul, and later at the monastery of Mar Bassima. Later writers confuse him with John Saba.

John Bar Penkaye's writings provides an eye-witness account of the Arab conquests of his time but make no mention of an Arab sacred book in existence by the end of the 7th century.