The archbishop Sallustius held the throne of Jerusalem for 8 years and 3 months, then he went to rest in Christ, on July 23 of the second indiction <AD 494>. Elias, who has been mentioned several times, in the Life of Euthymius’, succeeded to the patriarchy, on the 58th year of blessed Sabas’ life. The Patriarch Elias built a monastery near the episcopal palace and gathered there the attendants of the holy church of Resurrection, who (until then) were scattered in the area surrounding David’s tower. To each of them Elias assigned cells provided with all the comforts of life. After they had been gathered in one place, as I said, our father Sabas bought from them a number of cells, which he made into a hostel for the Laura. There were also some other cells to the north of those he had acquired, which he wanted to buy for the use of foreign monks. A goodly sum of money was required, but he had nothing but one half-solidus so, leaning on his faith in God, he gave the half-solidus as security, saying to the vendor: “If I do not satisfy you in full by tomorrow, I will lose the security”. On the morrow, before sunrise while he fretted about this and prayed in his heart, an unknown foreigner awe to him, gave him 170 gold coins and immediately went away, without telling his name. The blessed one marvelled at God’s prompt succour; he paid the price of the cells and established another hostel as a rest house for monks who came from abroad. He had also acquired two hostels for the Castellion, one in the holy city not far from David’s tower, the other in Jericho in one of the orchards that he had bought.
(transl. Leah Di Segni)