Hilarion

Hilarion, also known by the bynames Thavata, of Gaza and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Great, was a Christian anchorite who lived from about 291 to 371 and spent most of his life in the desert following the example of Anthony the Great. While Anthony is credited with establishing Christian monasticism in the Egyptian desert, Hilarion lived in the coastal area near Gaza and is regarded by his biographer Jerome as the founder of Palestinian monasticism, a claim that stands alongside Hilarion's contemporary Chariton, also credited as a founder of monasticism in the Judaean desert. Hilarion is venerated as a saint exemplifying monastic virtue by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.