Zebinas

Venerable Zebinas (Zevin) was a Syrian ascetic and hermit of the fourth and fifth centuries. Theodoret of Cyrrhus writes of him in chapter twenty-⁠four of the History of the Lovers of God. The Church commemorates him on 23 February.

He was a monk in the neighbourhood of the city of Cyrrhus. He reached great old age, and at the end of his life was obliged to walk leaning on a staff. He surpassed his contemporaries by a particular zeal for prayer, spending days and nights in it. He received visitors, but spoke with them little, so as not to turn aside from his chief work, prayer. He was hospitable to strangers, and let many who came stay with him till evening, but they, to escape his all-⁠night vigil, tried, under some pretext of business, to leave his cell.

Maron marvelled at Zebinas's virtues and ordered all who visited him to go to the elder Zebinas and receive his blessing. Maron called Zebinas father, teacher and example of every virtue. He asked that they both be placed in the same coffin, but this wish was not fulfilled. Zebinas died before Maron and was buried in the neighbouring village called Kittika. Over the place where he was buried a great church was built, because his relics gave the faithful healing from various illnesses. Disciples of Zebinas were Polychronius and James the Hermit. James Zebinas clothed with a hair shirt.