Rufinus, presbyter of Aquileia, is a church writer of the 4th century. Having accepted monasticism, he lived for a long time in the Egyptian desert, where he met great ascetics. He prefaces his story about the desert fathers with the words: “I’ll try to tell about each one individually... They live in the desert, scattered and separated into cells, but united by love... they are looking for truth and the Kingdom of God, and all this, according to the promise of the Savior , attached to them... Some of them, with prayer, stopped the rapidity of rivers that threatened to flood neighboring villages, walked on water as if on dry land, tamed fierce animals and performed many and countless miracles, reminiscent of the miracles of the prophets and apostles, so there is no doubt that The world stands on their virtues."