ns, Medes, and Assyrians, the battle had been maintained
for 3 days, either side preferring death to flight. But at last PRESBYTER
JOHN (for so they are wont to style him), having routed the Persians, came
forth the victor from a most sanguinary battle. After this victory (he
went on to say) the aforesaid John was advancing to fight in aid of the
Church at Jerusalem; but when he arrived at the Tigris, and found there no
possible means of transport for his army, he turned northward, as he had
heard that the river in that quarter was frozen over in winter-time.
Halting there for some years[2] in expectation of a frost, which never
came, owing to the mildness of the season, he lost many of his people
through the unaccustomed climate, and was obliged to return homewards.
This personage is said to be of the ancient race of those Magi who are
mentioned in the Gospel, and to rule the same nations that they did, and
to have such glory and wealth that he uses (they say) only an emerald
sceptre. It was (they say) from his being fired by the example of his
fathers, who came to adore Christ in the cradle, that he was proposing to
go to Jerusalem, when he was prevented by the cause already alleged."

Professor Bruun will not accept Oppert's explanation, which identifies
this King and Priest with the Gur-Khan of Karacathay, for whose profession
of Christianity there is indeed (as has been indicated--supra) no real
evidence; who could not be said to have made an attack upon any pair of
brother Kings of the Persians and the Medes, nor to have captured Ecbatana
(a city, whatever its identity, of Media); who could never have had any
intention of coming to Jerusalem; and whose geographical position in no
way suggested the mention of Armenia.

Professor Bruun thinks he finds a warrior much better answering to the
indications in the Georgian prince John Orbelian, the general-in-chief
under several successive Kings of Georgia in that age.

At the time when the Gur-Khan defeated Sanjar the real brothers of the
latter had been long dead; Sanjar had withdrawn from interference with the
affairs of Western Persia; and Hamadan (if this is to be regarded as
Ecbatana) was no residence of his. But it was the residence of Sanjar's
nephew Mas'ud, in whose hands was now the dominion of Western Persia;
whilst Mas'ud's nephew, Daud, held Media, i.e. Azerbeijan, Arran, and
Armenia. It is in these two princes that Professor Bruun sees the
_Samiardi fratres