<Justinian’s edict against Origenism did not put an end to the activity of the Origenist monks in Palestine under the leadership of Nonnus. On the contrary, they seemed stronger than ever and even began to persecute their opponents from the Great Laura of Sabas.>
If they saw an orthodox monk in the holy city, they would have him beaten by some laymen and driven out of town with cries of ‘Sabaite’. Since a number of orthodox fathers had been beaten and war had been declared against the pious, the Bessians of the Jordan, filled with divine indignation, mounted to the holy city to help the orthodox who were attacked. A public assault was organised against the Bessians and the other orthodox monks and they took refuge in the hostel of the Great Laura. Suddenly the enemies attacked it in a mad frenzy, to slay the fathers. Finding the hostel shut up, they broke the doors with stones and began to merciless stone people inside. While the fathers were so besieged, a Bessian (called) Theodulus found a shovel, seized it with both hands, slipped out of the hostel and all alone scattered the enemies, who were about three hundreds, being careful all the time not to strike anybody a mortal blow, but he himself was stricken by them with a stone, fell down and after a few days, he died. From then onwards, the attacks against the pious stopped, but the broken bolt of the workshop window proclaims the fierceness of those enemies to this very day.
(transl. Leah Di Segni)