After four years in these deserts, our holy father Sabas had gone through all the most lonely spots. One day he arrived at the most lofty hill (of the desert), where blessed Eudocia had once availed herself of the teachings of great Euthymius. While he spent the night in his devotions to God, an angelic form and in a shining dress appeared to him, and appointing out to him, on the south of the same hill, a ravine descending from Siloam, said: “If you really want to colonise this desert, get up, go to the eastern side of that ravine, where you see in front of you an untouched cave, and abide there: and He who ‘gives to the beasts their food and to the young ravens which cry’ <Ps. 147:9>, Himself will make provisions for you.” So the vision said; and (Sabas) came to himself and, seeing the ravine to the south that had been pointed out to him, was overjoyed: he descended from the hill and, guided by God, found the cave, exactly as it had been described to him in the vision. So he climbed up and took his abode there at the beginning of the 40th year of his life <AD 478>, the same year when the archbishop of Jerusalem, Anastasius, died at the beginning of July, after 19 full years in the patriarchate, leaving Martyrius as his successor, and Zenon, the Emperor of the Romans, put to death the usurper Basiliskos, who had usurped the throne for 20 months, and got his reign back. At that precise time our father Sabas took his abode in the above-mentioned cave and, since the ascent was very difficult, hung a rope near the mouth (of the cave) and used it to climb up and to let himself down; he took the water (he needed) from a cistern called Heptastomos, at a distance of about 15 stadia. Some time had elapsed, when four Saracens happened to come upon the place. They were unable to reach the cave, but the hallowed Sabas, seeing them from above, let down the rope and invited them to climb up. The barbarians came up and, finding that he had nothing, marvelled at his virtuous poverty, and after some days came back, bringing him dry bread, cheese and dates and any other things they could lay their hands on.
(transl. Leah Di Segni)