He was born in the city of Samasata. He received his education under the guidance of the scholar Varipsav. He took monastic vows and lived in the mountains and caves, imitating Saint John the Baptist.
Together with another monk, he went to Phoenicia, where he converted pagans to the true faith. With the help of Emperor Zeno, he built a monastery and populated it with monks.
After the death of Zeno, during the reign of Emperor Anastasius, he built a second monastery and many others in various places. He was always kind, meek, and merciful, opposing the devil with the help of Sacred Scripture.
He lived to see the reign of Justinian the Great, who built the Church of Saint Sophia in Constantinople. At the age of eighty, he heard a voice from heaven and, after a brief illness, departed to the Lord around the year 530.
