Euthymius' vita was written by Cyril of Skythopolis, who describes him as the founder of several monasteries in the Judaean desert, while remaining a solitary monk in the tradition of Egyptian monasticism.

[9] In 411, Euthymius withdrew into the wilderness (Greek eremos) with a fellow hermit from Pharan, Theoctistus (see below), living in a rough cavern on the banks of a torrent.

[1][3] He eventually returned to the plateau west of the monastery of Theoctistus, at a site, according to Cyril, not located on any thoroughfare which offered the quiet he sought and lived there together with Domitian in a cave organised as a simple hermitage.

[12] Peter, the Bedouin chief Euthymius had baptised, joined him and had a number of facilities built for the two: a large cistern, three cells, a chapel and a bakery.

[3] Maris, Terebon's uncle, financed the construction of the monastery, the tribe settled around it in an encampment, "parembole" in Greek, and Euthymius intervened with the patriarch of Jerusalem, Juvenal, to ordain Peter.

[3][8] Peter was instructed how to build the facilities, which included unusually small cells, due to Euthymius' very strict concepts of monastic life.

[3] Unlike the Egyptian lauras, which were only inhabited by Copts, the Holy Land attracted monks from the entire Christian world, making the monastic population in Palestine extremely cosmopolitan.

[8] As long as Euthymius and Theoctistus were alive, their monasteries developed a strong cooperation, both in terms of personnel (novices and young monks first went to the latter's coenobium), and economically, sharing property and a hostel in Jerusalem.

[3] During the temporary takeover of the Jerusalem bishopric by the Monophysites, Euthymius left his monastery for the desert, accompanied by a small group of monks.

[3] It was greatly due to the authority of Euthymius that most of the Eastern recluses eventually accepted the Chalcedonian decrees, and the Empress Eudoxia was converted to Orthodoxy through his efforts.

[17] About five years after Euthymius arrived, they went into the desert for Great Lent, and found in a wadi a large cave where they remained praying in solitude for some time.