He spent the first part of his life in the desert of Chalcis where he lived an ascetic life, he tried his body by fasting and still standing and was so exhausted that could not move. But then he left for Lebanon as a merchant and helped the inhabitants of the village where he stayed to pay the taxes with the help of his friends. The name of the village is not known but it is believed to be Aqura- Afka.
He spent the early stages of his life in the barren terrain of Chalcis, where he subjected himself to rigorous asceticism through fasting and endurance tests, ultimately reaching a state of extreme exhaustion. He then relocated to Lebanon as a merchant and assisted the residents of the village in fulfilling their tax obligations with the aid of his companions. The village's name remains unidentified but is thought to be Aqura-Afka.