Anthim the Iberian

ანთიმოზ ივერიელი St. Anthim the Iberian Antim Ivireanul
Mosaic depicting Anthim at Antim Monastery
Born	c. 1650 Kingdom of Kartli
Died	1716 Adrianople, Ottoman Empire
Venerated in	Romanian Orthodox Church Georgian Orthodox Church
Canonized	1992-09-27, Bucharest by the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Feast	27 September (Romanian Orthodox Church) 26 June (Georgian Orthodox Church)

Anthim the Iberian (Romanian: Antim Ivireanul, Georgian: ანთიმოზ ივერიელი - Antimoz Iverieli; secular name: Andria; 1650 — September or October 1716) was a Georgian theologian, scholar, calligrapher, philosopher and one of the greatest ecclesiastic figures of Wallachia, led the printing press of the prince of Wallachia, and was Metropolitan of Bucharest in 1708-1715.

Anthim was born in the Kingdom of Kartli, a Georgian kingdom known as Iberia in the west. Anthim was taken prisoner by Ottoman Empire troops, and took orders in Istanbul, while living on the compounds of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1689 or 1690, he was asked to settle in Wallachia by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, and was given charge of the newly founded printing press in Bucharest. Being appointed father superior (egumen) of the Snagov Monastery, Anthim moved the press to the new location.

He became bishop of Râmnic in 1705, and in 1708 Metropolitan of Wallachia. Anthim spoke and wrote many Oriental and European languages. Although a foreigner, he soon acquired a thorough knowledge of Romanian, and was instrumental in helping to introduce that language into the local church as its official language. In 1693, he published the Gospels in Romanian.