What is a Stylite?



Stylites were early Christian ascetics who retired to pillars in remote areas where they would endure the elements in their devotion to God. Local villagers and pilgrims would flock to the "pillar saints" for healing or simply to pray. The first known pillar saint is recognized as Saint Simeon Stylites in the fifth century who reportedly stood for thirty seven years on a pillar near Aleppo, Syria. This practice was most common in the early part of the Middle Ages and was mostly found in the eastern lands of the Byzantine Empire.