Editing Barlaam and Josaphat (section)

===Greek manuscripts===
The best-known version in Europe comes from a separate, but not wholly independent, source, written in [[Koine Greek|Greek]], and, although anonymous, attributed to "John the monk". It was first attributed to [[John of Damascus]] in the 12th century. Although this attribution was attacked in the 19th century, [[George Ratcliffe Woodward]] and [[Harold Mattingly]] sum up the arguments in favor of John of Damascus' authorship as follows: The work's doctrine is remarkably similar to St. John's, to the point where "in many passages the resemblance amounts almost to verbal identity"; there are frequent quotations from St. John's favorite authors, such as St. Gregory of Nazianus and St. Basil; "The defence of images, coupled with the denunciation of Idolatry, the enthusiasm for the monastic ideal, and the scant regard shown for the bishops and the secular clergy, almost compel us to place the work in the time of the Iconoclastic Controversy. The position, taken up and defended, is exactly that of the Icon-venerators; and we regard this fact alone as conclusive evidence for an eighth century date."; that St. John was often known as "John the Monk", so the fact that he wasn't specifically named in the earliest manuscripts doesn't rule him out.<ref> Barlaam and Ioasaph, p. xi-xiv Loeb Classical Library, 1962, trans. G.R Woodward and H. Mattingly </ref>

Nonetheless, many modern scholars do not accept this attribution, citing much evidence pointing to [[Euthymius of Athos]], a Georgian who died in 1028.<ref name=loeb>[http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674990388 Barlaam and Ioasaph, John Damascene], Loeb Classical Library 34, at LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY</ref>

The modern edition of the Greek text, from the 160 surviving variant manuscripts (2006), with introduction (German, 2009) is published as Volume 6 of the works of John the Damascene by the monks of the [[Abbey of Scheyern]], edited by Robert Volk. It was included in the edition due to the traditional ascription, but marked "spuria" as the translator is the Georgian monk [[Euthymius the Hagiorite]] (ca. 955–1028) at [[Mount Athos]] and not John the Damascene of the [[monastery of Saint Sabas]] in the [[Judaean Desert]]. The 2009 introduction includes an overview.<ref>[http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2009/2009-06-04.html Pieter W. van der Horst, Utrecht – Review of 2006/2009 Robert Volk edition]</ref>