▁April . ▁ ▁Middle ▁East ▁ ▁V ener ation ▁of ▁St . ▁George ▁as ▁a ▁mart yr ▁origin ates ▁in ▁the ▁Lev ant , ▁spread ▁from ▁Palest ine ▁through ▁Leb anon ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁– ▁though ▁the ▁mart yr ▁is ▁not ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁Sy ri ac ▁Bre vi arium ▁– ▁and ▁Georgia ▁in ▁the ▁▁ 4 th ▁to ▁ 5 th ▁centuries . ▁In ▁Georgia , ▁the ▁fe ast ▁day ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁is ▁cred ited ▁to ▁Saint ▁N ino ▁of ▁C app ad ocia , ▁who ▁in ▁Georg ian ▁h agi ography ▁is ▁a ▁relative ▁of ▁St . ▁George , ▁cred ited ▁with ▁bringing ▁Christian ity ▁to ▁the ▁Georg ians ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁century . ▁A ▁tit ular ▁church ▁built ▁in ▁Ly dd a ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Const antine ▁the ▁Great ▁( re igned ▁ 3 0 6 – 3 7 ) ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁to ▁" a ▁man ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁distinction "; ▁the ▁identity ▁of ▁this ▁man ▁with ▁St . ▁George ▁was ▁assert ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁Muslim s ▁in ▁ 1 0 1 0 , ▁but ▁was ▁later ▁re built ▁and ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Saint ▁George ▁by ▁the ▁Cr us aders . ▁In ▁ 1 1 9 1 ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁conflict ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Third ▁Cr us ade ▁( 1 1 8 9 – 9 2 ), ▁the ▁church ▁was ▁again ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁Sal adin ,