[1] Between then and 968, he received an invitation (likely in form of a chrysobull, which has not survived) from the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas to move with his fellow Syriacs to the newly reconquered territories around Melitene in order to repopulate the region.
In return, Nikephoros promised to grant them religious freedom and protection from the Byzantine state church.
[2][3] John, taking the emperor at his word, decided to do so and started building the monastery of Bārid close to Melitene in 968, which became the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch.
[4] Nevertheless, under pressure from the pugnacious Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, Polyeuctos, Nikephoros invited John Sarigta for theological disputations to the capital.
John started his journey in winter 969 took with him six companions, including the Syriac bishops of Apamea, Tzamandos, Zubatra and Germanicea.