Monk Abraham of Edessa/Urfa (d. AD 370)

Abraham was born into a prominent family near Edessa in Mesopotamia. Well educated, he refused a life of luxury and privilege and fled into the desert to live as a Christian hermit. He walled himself up in a cave, leaving only a small opening through which he received food. He wore a cloak and a piece of sackcloth and had a little bowl out of which he ate and drank. For 50 years, he never grew weary in his pursuit of God. Many Christians went to visit him and received his spiritual wisdom, advice, comfort, and edification. Abraham died in 370.