No almsgiver but Zia had ever dreamed of bringing a flower to him who was forever cut off from all bloom and loveliness.
"The Little Hunchback Zia"
Frances Hodgson Burnett
The five years of his government were spent in lightening the sufferings of the people, and he gained the truly Christian name of John the almsgiver.
"History Of Egypt From 330 B.C. To The Present Time, Volume 11 (of 12)"
S. Rappoport
When the Persians entered Egypt, the patrician Nicetas, having no forces with which he could withstand their advance, and knowing that no succour was to be looked for from Constantinople, and finding that the Alexandrians were unwilling to support him, fled with the patriarch John the almsgiver to Cyprus, and left the province to the enemy.
"History Of Egypt From 330 B.C. To The Present Time, Volume 11 (of 12)"
S. Rappoport