Among these settlements was Malocha, perhaps situated in the Wadi Malga, north of Ras Safsaf. This was at one time the home of Epiphanius, who was so devoted to ascetic practices that he had the power of seeing demons (no. 21).[177] Malocha at another time harboured Stephen, whose plantation was ravaged by animals, here called χορογρύλλοι, _i.e._ porkers, possibly they were hyænas. But Stephen reared a leopard (probably a panther) from a cub whom he set to guard his plantation (no. 13). This Stephen originally occupied a cell near the cave of Elijah, which he left for Sidde, “situated about seventy miles from the tower,” perhaps in Wadi Sidreh, a lower reach of the Wadi Umm Agraf. He then returned to his cell where he found his two disciples and died from exhaustion.[178] His body was conveyed to the convent, where it was set up at the entrance to the crypt. The _Perigraphe_ of 1817 stated that “he is still at the convent, not confined by coffin or sarcophagus, but standing upright with crossed hands and bowed head.”[179] And there the shrivelled figure wearing hermit clothing remains standing to the present day. At Sidde we also hear of a hermit who was walking one day in the desert and saw a Saracen approaching, whereupon he “transformed himself into a palm tree.” It was only another hermit, and so he returned to his natural appearance. Many stories were told of John the Sabaite who dwelt for a time at Malocha. He was walking one day across the desert with the imperial ruler (_archiater_) Demetrios, when they came upon the footmarks of a dragon. Demetrios proposed that they should fly, but John said they would pray, whereupon the “dragon,” was carried aloft and was thrown back to the ground shattered to pieces (_Anast._, no. 14). Another story told of John the Sabaite shows how the imaginary world was to these men the greater reality. He was dwelling in “the most distant desert,” when a fellow monk came to see him, who, in reply to his question how other monks fared, replied, They are well, thanks to your prayers. He then asked after a monk who had a bad reputation, and heard that there was no change in his behaviour. Afterwards he fell asleep and had a vision of the crucified Christ, and himself kneeling. But Christ called to His angels and thrust him forth, since he had passed judgment on a fellow monk, thus anticipating divine judgment. As he was thrust forth, his cowl caught in the gate and he lost it. He awoke, but the thought of his cowl lost in his dream, showed him that God had withdrawn from him, and he wandered in the desert seven years, eating no bread, sleeping in the open and speaking to no one, until he had another dream in which the Lord restored his cowl to him (_Anast._, no. 17).