THE FINDING OF AN HOLY ANCHORITE ON MOUNT AMANON
One of the fathers in Theoupolis told us: We once went up into Mount Amanon for some reason and I found a cave. When I went in, I discovered an anchorite, kneeling down with his hands stretched out to heaven. The hair of his head reached down to the floor.
Thinking that he was alive, I made an act of obeisance before him, saying, “Pray for me, father.” As he made no reply, I got up and went close to him, intending to embrace him. When I touched him, I found that he was dead, so I left him and went out.
A little further on, I saw another cave. This I entered and found an elder. He said to me, “Welcome, brother; have you seen the other elder’s cave?”
“Yes, father,” I replied, and he asked me, “Did you get anything there?” To which I replied, “No.” He then said to me, “Naturally, brother, for the elder has been dead for fifteen years.” Yet he appeared as though he had died only an hour before. The monk offered a prayer for me, and I went my way, glorifying God.