It is said that the Nine Saints arrived in Axum, the first great capital city of Ethiopia, in 480. They came from various parts of the East Roman Empire, having fled the persecutions of the Orthodox who remained faithful to the teaching of St. Cyril after Chalcedon's acceptance of the semi-Nestorian tome of Pope Leo the Great. The most prominent among the Nine Saints were the hieromonks [[Abba Zemika'el]], [[Abba Aregawi]], [[Abba P'antalewon]] (Panteleimon), [[Abba Aftse]], and [[Abba Gerima]] (also known as Yisihaq/Isaac), but the name names of [[Abba Guba]] was and [[Abba Libanos]] ('Fr. Lebanon' - possibly a title derived from his home country and not his actual name) were also recorded.

The histories of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church record that the Nine Saints lived for a time at St. Pachomius' Monastery in Egypt before continuing on to Ethiopia. After their arrival in Axum the Nine Saints studied Ge'ez, the national language at that time, and learned the customs of the Ethiopian people. They then spread out in different directions, preaching the Gospel and establishing monasteries wherever they went. Only [[Abba Libanos]] ('Fr. Lebanon' - possibly a title derived from his home country and not his actual name) and Abba P'antalewon remained near Axum, the later founding a church on the outskirts of this city that continues in use to this day.