Prochorus was one of the seven deacons of the very first church in Jerusalem, chosen in the Book of Acts, who by long Christian tradition became the faithful companion and scribe of the Apostle John. He is best remembered as the man who wrote down the words of the Book of Revelation as John dictated them on the island of Patmos.
According to tradition, when John was exiled to Patmos — the rocky little island that lies just off the Turkish coast, easily seen from our Aegean shores — Prochorus went with him and served at his side. In the famous Cave of the Apocalypse, the icon that Orthodox Christians know so well shows the aged John gazing upward to receive his vision while the younger Prochorus sits at his feet, pen in hand, recording every word. By some traditions, he helped set down the Gospel of John as well.
Later accounts tell us Prochorus went on to become a bishop and to die a martyr at Antioch, far to the east. Little can be said about his life with certainty, but his place in the story is precious: he stands for all the faithful, often unnamed helpers without whom the great figures of the Church could never have done their work.
On my Seven Churches journeys we often gaze out toward Patmos, where John and Prochorus gave the world the Book of Revelation, before exploring the seven cities of Asia to which it was addressed. If you’d like to walk this history with a licensed local guide, you can find me at toursaroundturkey.com.
