Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 33b

R. Judah, R. Jose, and R. Simeon were sitting and Judah ben Gerim was sitting near them. R. Judah began [the discussion] by observing, ‘How fine are the works of the Romans! They have made streets, they have built bridges, they have erected baths.’ R. Jose was silent. R. Simeon b. Yohai answered and said, ‘All that they made they made for themselves; they built market-places, to set harlots in them; baths, to rejuvenate themselves; bridges, to levy tolls for them.’ Now Judah ben Gerim went and related their talk and word of it reached the government. They decreed: Judah, who exalted [us], shall be exalted, Jose, who was silent, shall be exiled to Sepphori; Simeon, who censured, let him be executed. He and his son went and hid themselves in the house of study, and his wife brought him bread and a mug of water and they dined. [But] when the decree became more severe he said to his son, “Women are not serious-minded; my wife may be tortured and expose us.” So they went and hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and a water-well were created for them. They would strip their garments and sit up to their necks in sand. The whole day they studied; when it was time for prayers they robed, covered themselves, prayed, and then put off their garments again, so that they should not wear out. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave. Then Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and exclaimed, Who will inform the son of Yohai that the emperor is dead and his decree annulled? So they emerged. Seeing a man ploughing and sowing, they exclaimed, ‘They forsake life eternal and engage in life temporal!’ Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately burnt up. Thereupon a Heavenly Echo came forth and cried out, ‘Have you emerged to destroy My world? Return to your cave!’ So they returned and dwelt there twelve months, saying, ‘The punishment of the wicked in Gehenna is [limited to] twelve months.’ A Heavenly Echo then came forth and said, ‘Go forth from your cave!’ So they went out, and wherever R. Eleazar wounded, R. Simeon healed. Said he to him, ‘My son! You and I are sufficient for the world.’ On the eve of the Sabbath before sunset they saw an old man holding two bundles of myrtle and running at twilight. What are these for?’ they asked him. ‘They are in honor of the Sabbath,’ he replied. “But shouldn’t one be enough.” One is for ‘Remember’ and one for ‘Observe.’ Said he to his son, ‘See how precious are the commandments to Israel.’ From that, their minds were put at ease. R. Phinchas b. Ya'ir his son-in-law heard [thereof] and went out to meet him. He took him into the baths and massaged his flesh. Seeing the clefts in his body caused by the sand, he wept and the tears streamed from his eyes. ‘Woe to me that I see you in such a state!’ he cried out. ‘Happy are you that you see me thus,’ he retorted, ‘for if you did not see me in such a state you would not find me thus [learned]. For originally, when R. Simeon b. Yohai raised a difficulty, R. Phinehas b. Ya'ir would give him thirteen answers, whereas subsequently when R. Phinehas b. Ya'ir raised a difficulty, R. Simeon b. Yohai would give him twenty-four answers. Since a miracle has occurred, said he, let me go and repair something, for it is written, and Jacob came in complete peace [to the city of Shechem], (Genesis 33:18). Rab interpreted this to mean: Bodily whole, financially whole, and whole in his learning. And he was gracious to the city. Rab said: He instituted coinage for them in place of barter. Samuel said: He instituted markets for them; R. Johanan said: He instituted baths for them. [Soncino translation]