John the Exarch

John the Exarch (also transcribed Joan Ekzarh; Church Slavonic: Їѡаннъ Єѯархъ Bulgarian: Йоан Екзарх) was a medieval Bulgarian scholar, writer and translator, one of the most important men of letters working at the Preslav Literary School at the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century.

His most famous work is the compilation Shestodnev (Шестоднев – Hexameron) that consists of both translations of earlier Byzantine authors and original writings.

In a manuscript of the Gospels, held in the National Library of Serbia, an alternative date is given, namely — 13 February [O.S.

Evidence about his life is scarce but his literary legacy suggests an excellent knowledge of Greek language.

[4] John the Exarch's literary work includes a number of translations of medieval Byzantine authors, the most important of which is the translation, around 895, of On Orthodox Christianity by the Byzantine theologian John of Damascus.