The Desert Fathers were early Christian hermits, ascetics, and monks who mainly lived in the Scetes desert of Egypt. The most famous was St. Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270 AD and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism. By the time Anthony died in AD 356, thousands of monks and nuns had been drawn to Anthony's example of living in the harsh conditions of the inner desert, praying the psalms, meditating on scripture, eating rarely, and working with their hands making baskets or mats. This work is a collection of stories from the lives of these early monks and nuns. - Summary by ancientchristian