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John's view of the earliest periods of history is informed by sources such as [[Sextus Julius Africanus]] and [[John Malalas]]. The ''Chronicle'' is most noteworthy for its passages dealing with the early 7th century. John covers in detail the revolt of the [[Thracian tribes|Thracian]] armies in [[Maurice’s Balkan campaigns#Renewed campaigns, 597–602|602]] and the subsequent overthrow of the Emperor [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]] by the usurper [[Phocas]]. His account adds considerably to our knowledge of the reign of Phocas and particularly to the successful revolt against him begun at [[Carthage]] by [[Heraclius]]. Unfortunately, the section dealing with the climactic [[Persian Wars|Persian wars]] waged by Heraclius is not extant.
Perhaps the most important section of John's ''Chronicle'' is that which deals with the invasion and conquest of Egypt by the Muslim armies of [[Amr ibn al-Aas]]. Though probably not an eyewitness, John was most likely of the generation immediately following the conquest, and the Chronicle provides the only near-contemporary account. John describes the major events of Amr's campaign, such as the taking of the Roman fortress at Babylon
John records Muslim atrocities committed against Copts and the prohibitive new taxes placed on the native population. In some cases, the taxes were so burdensome that families were forced to sell their children into slavery. John also admonishes Egyptians who abandoned Christianity in favor of Islam.
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