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Patr. Dositheus wrote intensively. Most of his works were compilations from the writings of the Greek Fathers and were directed against the positions of the Roman Catholic church and of the Eastern churches that recognized Rome. In 1715, after he died, his twelve volume ''History of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem'' was published.
As a consequence of the establishment of a strong presence of the Latin influence into the Holy Lands after the crusades, Patr. Dositheus was confronted with constant efforts by delegates of the Latin countries of Austria, France, Poland, and Venice to assert new and historical privileges concerning Church properties in Jerusalem. In 1675, he obtained a [[firman]] that gave the Orthodox exclusive rights to the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Holy Sepulchre]], but the right was withdrawn in 1690. Twice assassination attempts were made on him. In 1680, he was able to save loss of the [[Monastery of the Cross (Jerusalem)|Monastery of the Holy Cross ]] due to the indebtedness of the Orthodox Georgian [[monk]]s. He traveled to Constantinople to defend against the Latins before Sultan Suleiman, voiding some their actions concerning privileges, but in 1688 due to their war with the Ottomans he was unable to obtain firmans favorable to the Orthodox, resulting in the eviction of the Orthodox from Jerusalem. Vowing not the return to Jerusalem until he obtained removal of the Latins from the illegally acquired shrines, Dositheus succeeded in obtaining many favorable but less important firmans.
Patr. Dositheus reposed in Constantinople on [[February 8]], 1707, not living long enough to see through the struggles that he passed on to his successor Patr. [[Chrysanthus of Jerusalem|Chrysanthus]].