David the Dendrite

{{Short description|Saint of Thessaloniki}}

{{Infobox saint

|name=Saint David the Tree-Dweller

|birth_date=c. 450

|death_date=540

|feast_day=26 June (Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox Church)
16 September (Translation of Relics) (Greek Orthodox Church)

|venerated_in=Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church

|image=Thessaloniki Museum of Byzantine Culture Relief icon of Hosios David.jpg

|imagesize=

|caption=Relief icon in Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki (13th-14th centuries)

|birth_place=Upper Mesopotamia

|death_place=Thermes

|titles=Dendrite

|canonized_date=

|canonized_place=

|canonized_by=

|patronage=Thessaloniki

|attributes=

|influenced =

|major_shrine=

|issues=

}}

David the Dendrite ({{langx|el|Δαυίδ ό Δενδριτής}}, c. 450–540), also known as David the tree-dweller and David of Thessalonika, is a saint of Thessaloniki. David became a monk at the Monastery of Saints Merkourios and Theodore outside Thessaloniki. Famed for his sound advice, he was hounded by crowds seeking words of wisdom and prayer. Wishing a quiet, contemplative life, David fled to the seclusion of an almond tree, where he lived for three years.Parry (1999), pp. 156-57

He left the tree to petition the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great in Constantinople to send soldiers to defend Thessaloniki from attack. David died in 540 as his ship was en route to Macedonia.

David is commemorated on June 26 (by the Catholic Church{{Cite web |url=http://66.37.140.35:3000/ech/View/View_of_saints_list.php?a=search&value=1&SearchFor=26-jun&SearchOption=Equals&SearchField=feast_day |title=Roman Martyrology for June 26 |access-date=2010-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705201259/http://66.37.140.35:3000/ech/View/View_of_saints_list.php?a=search&value=1&SearchFor=26-jun&SearchOption=Equals&SearchField=feast_day |archive-date=2011-07-05 |url-status=dead }} and the Eastern Orthodox Church[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101817 Orthodox Church in America: Monkmartyr David of Thessalonica]).