Saints John, Iraklemon, Andrew, and Theophilus lived in the Egyptian desert in the 4th century. All four were children of the city officials of Oxyrhynchus. While studying in school, they became friends and, having learned the higher secular sciences, desired to comprehend spiritual wisdom.
Deciding to dedicate themselves to asceticism, they withdrew into the desert, where they met a holy man who had reached a great old age, and they lived with him for a year, receiving spiritual edification. After his death, the saints remained in the desert but settled in different places. They fed on wild vegetables, eating only twice a week. Each spent time alone in the surrounding mountains and caves, and on Saturdays and Sundays, they gathered together for common prayer and were deemed worthy of holy communion from the Angel of God.
Thus, having lived for about sixty years, they peacefully departed this life. In the desert, they were met by Saint Paphnutius, who listened to and recorded their account of their life.
