St. Simeon Stylites the Elder

Summary

St. Simeon Stylites the Elder was a Syrian ascetic who lived on top of a series of pillars for 30 years to avoid distractions and dedicate his life to prayer, becoming famous for his extreme form of piety.

Abstract

St. Simeon Stylites the Elder, born around 390 in northern Syria, embraced Christianity at age 13 after reading the Beatitudes. He initially joined a monastery but left due to his preference for solitude. Simeon then spent over a year in a cave, fasting for 40 days during Lent, which was seen as a miracle and began his rise to fame. Seeking further isolation, he moved to a rocky area and eventually to a pillar in nearby ruins, which he made progressively taller, reaching a final height of 15 meters (50 ft). He lived on this pillar for three decades, never descending, and was provided with food and drink daily. His piety attracted crowds, leading to the construction of a double wall around his pillar for protection. St. Simeon was found deceased in a prayerful position in September 459. The author of the web content visited the site in 1993 and took a photograph of the remains, noting that the pillar within the church was damaged by a missile in 2016 during the Syrian civil war.

Opinions

The author seems to hold St. Simeon in high regard, referring to his lifestyle as an extreme form of piety.
The survival of Simeon's 40-day fast is implied to be miraculous by the author.
The author's personal experience is shared through the photograph they took during their visit, suggesting a sense of connection to the historical figure and the site.
The mention of the Syrian civil war and the damage to the pillar's site conveys the author's concern for the preservation of historical and religious landmarks.
By providing links to additional stories about Jordan and Syria, the author indicates an interest in and appreciation for the region's historical and cultural significance.

A pillar-hermit

St. Simeon’s Style Remains (photo by author)

Simeon (c. 390–2 September 459) was a shepherd boy in what is now northern Syria. At the age of 13, he read the Beatitudes and became a Christian. Soon after he joined a monastery, but he didn’t do well in community life, so he was asked to leave the monastery.

He left to live alone in a cave for over a year. During his year there, he went without food or water for the 40 days of Lent. People in the surrounding area knew where he was and that he was fasting. Surviving 40 days of fasting was considered a miracle and his fame began to spread.

Next, he decided to live on a high narrow rocky area on the slopes of a mountain but people started coming to talk to him. Too many people were bothering him and talking to him, so he explored other areas to live.

He found an ancient pillar in the ruins of a building nearby. He formed a small platform on the pillar and decided to live his life on the pillar. More people came to see him, so he made the pillar taller, and then taller. It was finally 15 meters (50 ft) high.

He stayed on the highest pillar for 30 years, never coming down. Food and drink were lifted up to him each day. He was considered so pious and was so revered that a double wall was built around his pillar to protect him from the crowds.

He was found dead in a prayerful position on his pillar in September 459.

We visited the site on our tour of northern Syria in the spring of 1993. That is when I took the photo above. Apparently, the pillar within the church was hit by a missile in May 2016 during the Syrian civil war.

My additional stories of Jordan and Syria here on Medium: