John of Patmos is the name traditionally given to the author of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 1:9 states that John was on Patmos, an Aegean island off the coast of Roman Asia, where according to most biblical historians, he was exiled as a result of anti-Christian persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian.
Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos by Hieronymus Bosch, 1505
Nicolas Poussin's Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1640)
The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning 'unveiling' or 'revelation'. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon. It occupies a central place in Christian eschatology.
Frontispiece, Book of Revelation, Bible of San Paolo fuori le Mura, 9th century
Very rare depiction of scenes from Revelation in an altar. Here in Kolby Church, Denmark, 1550.
St. John the Evangelist on Patmos by Hieronymous Bosch, c. 1489
St. John receives his Revelation, Saint-Sever Beatus, 11th century