السيرة
Saint Palladius tells us of an ascetic priest named Elpidius.
He was a Cappadocian who was ordained to the priesthood and then became chorepiscopus at the monastery of Timothy the Cappadocian. As he loved the solitary life, he came to dwell in one of the caves near Jericho. He lived there for twenty-five years, during which he surpassed all the ascetics in the burning of his heart with the love of God and in his being occupied with nothing other than God Himself. Saint Palladius lived there among the brethren, and he has described for us, in brief, what this ascetic attained, who in his inward longing for God would stand the whole night through, praising God with the Psalms in joy and gladness. He rose above the needs of the body to such a great degree that he never ate except on Saturdays and Sundays.
One night, as he stood exultant, praising with the Psalms, a scorpion stung him. Some of the brethren were with him, praising. Yet he did not trouble himself, nor did he so much as move his foot, paying no heed to the scorpion's sting.
His disciples said of him that he occupied himself with nothing, for he was absorbed with all his feelings and senses in the Lord. He entered his cave and remained in it for twenty-five years, never leaving it except for the grave. He never once beheld the setting of the sun, for the mountain that faced the door of his cave hid this sight from him