The Monks of Palestine

Many monastic communities flourished in Palestine. Many of those I listed under the reign of Constantius were still cultivating this science. They and their companions reached the summit of perfection in philosophy, and added still greater fame to their monasteries. Among them Hesychas, a companion of Hilarion, and Epiphanius, afterward bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, deserve particular notice. Hesychas gave himself to a life of philosophy in the same place where his master had formerly lived. Epiphanius made his home near the village of Besauduc, his birthplace, in the district of Eleutheropolis. He had been taught from his youth by the most celebrated ascetics, and for this reason had spent most of his time in Egypt. So Epiphanius became very famous in Egypt and Palestine for his attainments in monastic philosophy, and the people of Cyprus chose him to serve as bishop of the chief city of their island. That is why he is, I think, the most revered man under the whole heaven, so to speak. For he carried out his priesthood amid the crowds of a large city and in a seaport; and when he threw himself into civic affairs, he handled them with such virtue that in a short time he became known to all the citizens and to every kind of foreigner. Some knew him because they had seen the man himself and had experience of his way of life; others had learned of it from those who had seen him. Before he went to Cyprus he lived for some time, during the present reign, in Palestine. [a]

At the same time four brothers in the monasteries were highly distinguished: Salamines, Phuscon, Malachion and Crispion. They practiced philosophy near Bethelia, a village in the territory of Gaza. They came from a noble family of that place, and had been trained in philosophy by Hilarion. It is said that once, when the brothers were traveling home, Malachion was suddenly snatched away and vanished from sight; but soon afterward he reappeared and went on with his brothers. He did not live long after this, but died in the bloom of his youth. Yet in the philosophy of a virtuous and devout life he was not behind men of advanced age.

Ammonius lived a little over a mile from these brothers, near Capharcobra, his birthplace, a town in the territory of Gaza. He was very strict and courageous in carrying out his ascetic discipline. I think that Silvanus, a native of Palestine, was practicing philosophy in Egypt at about the same time. Because of his high virtue, an angel was once seen serving him. Later he lived at Mount Sinai, and afterward he founded at Gerar, in the wadi, a very large and very famous community for many good men, over which the excellent Zacharias later presided. [d]