, ▁basic ▁sleep ing ▁accommod ations , ▁and ▁a ▁domestic ▁cook ing ▁range , ▁suitable ▁for ▁the ▁asc etic ▁l ifest yle ▁of ▁the ▁inhab it ant . ▁Depending ▁on ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁herm it , ▁prem ises ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁studio , ▁work shop ▁or ▁chap el ▁may ▁be ▁attached ▁or ▁s ited ▁in ▁proxim ity . ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁first ▁herm it ages ▁were ▁located ▁in ▁natural ▁c aves , ▁temple ▁ru ins , ▁and ▁even ▁simple ▁h uts ▁in ▁for ests ▁and ▁desert s . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁early ▁fourth ▁century ▁( around ▁ 3 0 0 ▁AD ), ▁the ▁spiritual ▁retre ats ▁of ▁the ▁Des ert ▁F athers , ▁who ▁had ▁chosen ▁to ▁live ▁apart ▁from ▁society ▁in ▁the ▁relative ▁isol ation ▁of ▁the ▁N it rian ▁Des ert ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁began ▁to ▁attract ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁wider ▁Christian ▁community . ▁The ▁p iety ▁of ▁such ▁herm its ▁often ▁attract ed ▁both ▁la ity ▁and ▁other ▁would - be ▁asc et ics , ▁forming ▁the ▁first ▁c en ob it ic ▁communities ▁called ▁" sk etes ", ▁such ▁as ▁N it ria ▁and ▁K ell ia . ▁Within ▁a ▁short ▁time , ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁people ▁arrived ▁to ▁adopt ▁the ▁teach ings ▁and ▁l ifest yle ▁of ▁these ▁herm its , ▁and ▁there ▁began ▁by ▁necessity ▁a ▁mut ual ▁exchange ▁of ▁labour ▁and ▁shared ▁goods ▁between ▁them , ▁forming ▁the ▁first ▁mon astic ▁communities . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁later ▁fe ud al