13377 - Ein Fara - OLD CHURCH

<On his way from Jerusalem into the desert, Chariton is caught by robbers and brought in chains to a cave, where the robbers had their den. ... A snake drops its poison into a jar of wine in the robbers’ cave; having drunk the wine, all the robbers die.> … Thereupon the den of those foul robbers became a holy tabernacle of God, what is now the so-called Old Church, which is situated in the most chaste laura called Pharan, that was founded by the great Chariton.

(transl. Di Segni)

Then the bonds that restrained his hands unfastened of themselves, and Chariton became heir to the ill-amassed riches, but made good use of them and scattered them abroad liberally, in accordance with the Lord's command. Some he distributed to the poor and to the holy fathers of the deserts, who were likely to be in need. At that time they were rare and few in number; they lived scattered in the caves of the Reed-bush <Calamon>, which is near the Dead Sea, they too having fled from the rising of the impious that happened in those days, as I have already explained. With the rest of the money, Chariton built the above-mentioned sacred laura, with the most holy church within, which was consecrated by Macarius of sainted memory, who dutifully ruled the holy church of God here in Jerusalem and was one of the pious number that gathered at the Council of Nicaea.

(transl. Di Segni)