Bishop Avitus has the synagogue destroyed; Jews must choose between baptism and exile to Marseille (Gregory of Tours)

Gregory of Tours, a contemporary bishop, left a detailed account of what happened in Clermont. A Jewish community lived there, in close relations with the city's Christians — to the point that the conversion of one of its members provoked a public reaction: during the Easter procession, rancid oil was thrown at the convert from a house.

Bishop Avit had the synagogue destroyed, then sent the community a letter of exhortation offering them the choice between baptism and departure. The baptisms took place at Pentecost, in the cathedral; those who refused made their way to Marseille, whose community then served as a refuge for Jews of the Frankish kingdom.

The poet Venance Fortunat celebrated the event in a poem addressed to Avit, which fixed the model: the conversion of an entire city presented as a pastoral success.