THE LIFE OF A MESOPOTAMIAN MONK, ADDAS THE RECLUSE
The elder also told us this: After Abba David, another monk from Mesopotamia came to Thessalonica, whose name was Adolas. He confined himself in a hollow plane tree in another part of the city. He made a little window in the tree through which he could talk with people who came to see him.
When the barbarians came and laid waste to the countryside, they happened to pass by that place. One of the barbarians noticed the elder looking down at them. He drew his sword and raised his arm to strike the elder. But the elder remained there, rooted to the spot with his hand stuck up in the air. When the rest of the barbarians saw this, they were amazed and, falling down before him, besought the elder to restore their comrade. The elder offered a prayer, healed him, and thus dismissed them in peace.