<After Sabas’ death, under his second successor, Gelasius, elected in September 537, the Origenists came into the light. Gelasius entered upon an open campaign against them.> Then the fathers (of the Great Laura) expelled the Origenists one by one; they were found to be about forty. They withdrew to the New Laura, to Nonnus and Leontius of Byzantium, who by then had come back from Constantinople and was in a frenzy of rage against Sabas’ successors. (At the New Laura the expelled monks) never ceased clamouring against Abba Gelasius and the fathers of the Great Laura. When all the leaders of the heresy were gathered, Leontius of Byzantium. who for a long time past had it in for blessed Sabas, advised the others to take a rash course of action, namely, to raze to the ground the Great laura so that it would never be resettled. He also brought together in the New Laura all the adherents of the foul doctrine (of Origen). They went in a body with Leontius and the expelled monks to the monastery of blessed Theodosius, hoping to drag along with them the hegumen of that monastery, the celebrated Sophronius, and his monks; but their design was brought to naught and they left in disgrace. Thereupon Leontius’ men, raving against Gelasius and the Great Laura, sent to several places to fetch picks, spades, iron bars and all the tools needed for the (projected) demolition, and (to gather) an auxiliary force of peasants, and took off in a frenzied rage to tear down the Great Laura. But the God of Abba Sabas performed a mighty miracle, for though it was the second hour of the day <about seven AM> a mist fell upon them, and such a darkness, that they broke their legs going up and down through rough and impassable country the whole day, as we learned from people who know exactly (what happened), and only on the morrow did they finally find themselves near the monastery of blessed Marcianus; and so, when they saw daylight, (the assailants) went back home defeated and shamed. This is the miracle worked by the God of miracles, who wages war against the arrogant, but bestows his grace upon the humble, who struck his enemies with blindness as He did for Lot and Elisha.
(transl. Leah Di Segni)