A Professors Testimony Concerning the Marble King John

(ca. 1970s) The following testimony has been published on the internet: "The narrative that follows describes a university professors visit to Constantinople during the 70s. He had two Turkish friends there who were professors at the University of Istanbul. In the conversation he had with them concerning upcoming events the issue of repossessing Constantinople came up.

Then the Turkish professors (which from this testimony seemed to be Crypto-Christians) said to him: Do you want us to take you to see something unique, provided that we will bind your eyes throughout the route, so you cannot locate the place because what you will see is a closely-guarded secret! He accepted and they started with a jeep, with his eyes covered, but from the time it took to get to their destination, he estimated that it must have been about 10 km outside of Constantinople. They led him blindfolded to a place which by the moisture he realized was a cave. They walked far enough into the cave and when they arrived at an internal gallery in the cave they opened his eyes. What he saw was beyond what he could have imagined before! The gallery was large enough and at some point there was an open grave without identification. Inside the tomb he saw a man dressed in royal clothes of the Roman Empire, he saw two purple crosses on his shoulders, but it was shocking that the man seemed alive as sleeping, he had that pinkish color of the living. He was fully armed with the armor of that time period and had his hand on his sword which was taken almost all the way out of its sheath with only a few inches remaining to be completely detached from its case. And while he was watching dumbfounded, his friends said to him: This is John Doukas Vatatzis, king of Nicea, he will lead the Greek (Romaion) race. The secret is transmitted from generation to generation to some trusted people and a tradition says that when his sword comes out completely from sheath, the Greeks will get back what they lost then. And the fact is, we've noticed that the sword moves one or two millimeters every five years. They blindfolded him again and returned. In 1992, a friend of the professors and an eyewitness, told these things directly to my brotherly friend, doctor, vice-president of a clinic, faithful and serious man. Back then we were very skeptical. I even told this to my Elder who is a very hard to convince man, but he has distinction and he listened carefully. Why not, I heard him say to me and it surprised me, we keep it in our hearts because it is our expectation and if the saints have told us that these things will happen, they do not lie. I asked him, Yes but will Vatatzis the good king rise again? Very likely, he replied. Knowing my Elder, me and my friend felt his response as absolute confirmation. Nevertheless we were still skeptical. Much later we verified this info with a video where Elder Ephraim, founder of many monasteries in America talks about being on Mount Athos where he had met the holy Archpriest of Militoupoli Hierotheos. Hierothoes was living on Mount Athos then and told them that about his visit to

Constantinople in 1952. He had seen (under what conditions I do not know) exactly the same thing as described above. He even told Elder Ephraim that only a few inches my child for the sword to come out of the sheath. Archpriest Hierothos told Elder Ephraim these things in 1955 and feared (by the expulsion of the Greeks from the Istanbul during the pogroms) that maybe it was time for the great war. In this video Elder Ephraim emphasizes: ...and the lips of a holy Archpriest do not lie. The above testimony invokes the revelation of Elder Ephraim of America.

Portrait of John III from a 15th-century manuscript.