Stylit
Stylit is a term sometimes used to refer to a Christian ascetic who lives atop a pillar, a practice more commonly called stylite. The word derives from the Greek stylos, meaning pillar, and belongs to late antique and early Byzantine monasticism. Stylites sought to withdraw from ordinary life to pursue continuous prayer and contemplation, using the height of a pillar to symbolize withdrawal from the world and to attract attention to spiritual striving.
The tradition began in the eastern Roman Empire, with various pillars erected in desert or urban settings
Culturally, stylites influenced hagiography, iconography, and perceptions of extreme asceticism within early Christianity. The phenomenon also
Note: In scholarly works, Stylite is the standard term; Stylit appears as a less common variant or