John of Egypt was a 4th-century hermit and anchorite who lived in the Nitrian Desert. Born in Lycopolis to a poor family, he initially worked as a carpenter before entering monastic life at age twenty-five. He spent many years studying under an elderly mentor, learning through various tests of obedience. Eventually, he sought total isolation by carving three small cells into a cliffside, where he lived in seclusion for five decades, communicating with others only through a tiny window.