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kind of neck in the middle; where it begins to 'ascend it lengthens itself, and declines as much downward before as behind, insomuch that it is like a camel in figure, from whence it is so named, although the people of the country do not pronounce it accurately; both on the side and the face there are abrupt parts divided from the rest, and ending in vast deep valleys; yet are the parts behind, where they are joined to the mountain, somewhat easier of ascent than the other; but then the people belonging to the place have cut an oblique ditch there, and made that hard to be ascended also. On its acclivity, which is strait, houses are built, and those very thick and close to one another. The city also hangs so strongly, that it looks as if it would fall down upon itself, so sharp is it at the top. It is exposed to the south, and its southern mount which reaches to an immense height, was in the nature of a citadel to the city; and above that was a precipice, not walled about, but extending itself to an immense depth. There was also a spring of water within the wall, at the utmost limits of the city.

2. As this city was naturally hard to be taken, so had Josephus, by building a wall about it, made it still stronger, as also by ditches and mines under ground. The people that were in it were made more bold by the nature of the place, than the people of Jotapata had been, but it had much fewer fighting men in it; and they had such a confidence in the situation of the place, that they thought the enemy could not be too mean for them; for the city had been filled with those that had fled to it for safety, on account of its strength; on which account they had been able to resist those whom Agrippa sent to besiege it for seven months together.

3. But Vespasian removed from Emmaus, where he had last pitched his camp before the city Tiberias, (now Emmaus if it be interpreted, may be rendered A warm bath, for there-in is a spring of warm water, useful for healing,) and came to Gamala; yet was its situation such that he was not able to encompass it all around with soldiers to watch it, but where the places were practicable, he sent men to watch it, and seized upon the mountain which was over it. And as the legions, according to their usual custom, were fortifying their camp upon that mountain, he began to cast up banks at the bottom, at the part towards the east, where the highest tower of the whole city was, and where the fifteenth legion pitched their camp; while the fifth legion did duty over

against the midst of the city, and whilst the tenth legion filled up the ditches and the vallies. Now at this time it was.

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that as king Agrippa was come nigh the walls, and was endeavouring to speak to those that were on the walls, about a surrender, he was hit with a stone on his right elbow by one of the slingers; he was then immediately surrounded with his own men. But the Romans were excited to set about the siege, by their indignation on the king's account, and by their fear on their own account, as concluding that those men would omit no kinds of barbarity against foreigners and enemies, who were so enraged against one of ther own nation, and one that advised them to nothing but what was for their own advantage.

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4. Now when the banks were finished, which was done on the sudden, both by the multitude of hands, and by their being accustomed to such work, they brought the machines; but Chares, and Joseph, who were the most potent men in the city, set their armed men in order, though already in a fright, because they did not suppose that the city could hold out long, since they had not a sufficient quantity either of water, or of other necessaries. However, these their leaders encouraged them, and brought them out upon the wall, and for a while indeed they drove away those that were bringing the machines; but when those machines threw darts, and stones at them, they retired into the city, then did the Romans bring battering-rams to three several places, and made the wall shake [and fall.] They then poured in over the parts of the wall that were thrown down, with a mighty sound of trumpets, and noise of armour, and with a shout of the soldiers, and brake in by force upon those that were in the city; but these men fell upon the Romans for some time, at their first entrance, and prevented their going any farther, and with great courage beat them back; and the Romans were so overpowered by the greater multitude of the people, who beat them on every side, that they were obliged to run into the upper parts of the city. Whereupon the people turned about and fell upon their enemies, who had attacked them, and thrust them down to the lower parts, and as they were distressed by the narrowness and difficulty of the place, slew them; and as these Romans could neither beat those back that were above them, nor escape the force of their own men that were forcing their way forward, they were compelled to fly into their enemies houses, which were low; but these houses

being thus full of soldiers, whose weight they could not bear; fell down suddenly; and when one house fell, it shook down a great many of those that were under it, as did those do to such as were under them. By this means a vast number of the Romans perished, for they were so terribly distressed, that although they saw the houses subsiding, they were compelled to leap upon the tops of them; so that a great many were ground to powder by these ruins, and a great many of those that got from under them lost some of their limbs, but still a greater number were suffocated by the dust that arose from those ruins. The people of Gamala supposed this to be an assistance afforded them by God, and without regarding what damage they suffered themselves, they pressed forward, and thrust the enemy upon the tops of their houses, and when they stumbled in the sharp and narrow streets, and were perpetually falling down, they threw their stones or darts at them, and slew them. Now the very ruins afforded them stones enow, and for iron weapons the dead men of the enemies side afforded them what they wanted; for, drawing the swords of those that were dead, they made use of them to dispatch such as were only half dead; nay, there were a great number who, upon their falling down from the tops of the houses, stabbed themselves and died after that manner; nor indeed was it easy for those that were beaten back to fly. away, for they were so unacquainted with the ways, and the dust was so thick, that they wandered about without knowing one another, and fell down dead among the crowd.

5. Those, therefore, that were able to find the ways out of the city, retired. But now Vespasian always staid among those that were hard set; for he was deeply affected with seeing the ruins of the city falling on his army, and forgot to take care of his own preservation. He went up gradually towards the highest parts of the city before he was aware, and was left in the midst of dangers, having only a very few with him; for even his son Titus was not with him at that time, having then been sent into Syria, to Mucianus. Howeyer, he thought it not safe to fly, nor did he esteem it a fit thing for him to do; but calling to mind the actions he had done from his youth, and recollecting his courage, as if he had been excited by a divine fury, he covered himself and those that were with him with their shields, and formed a testudo over both their bodies and their armour, and bore up against the enemies attacks, who came running down from

the top of the city; and without shewing any dread to the multitude of the men or of their darts, he endured all, until the enemy took notice of that divine courage that was with. in him, and remitted of their attacks; and when they pressed less zealously upon him, he retired, though without shewing his back to them, till he was gotten out of the walls of the city. Now a great number of the Romans fell in this battle, among whom was Ebutius, the decurion, a man who appeared not only in this engagement wherein he fell but every where, and in former engagements to be of the truest courage, and one that had done very great mischief to the Jews, But there was a centurion whose name was Gallus, who during this disorder, being encompassed about, he and ten other soldiers privately crept into the house of a certain person, where he heard them talking at supper what the people intended to do against the Romans, or about themselves; (for both the man himself, and those with him were Syrians.) So he got up in the night-time, and cut all their throats, and Escaped, together with his soldiers, to the Romans.

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6. And now Vespasian comforted his army, which was much dejected by reflecting on their ill success, and because they had never before fallen into such a calamity, and besides this, because they were greatly ashamed that they had left their general alone in great dangers. As to what concerned himself, he avoided to say any thing, that he might by no means seem to complain of it; but he said, that "we ought to bear manfully what usually "falls out in war, and this by considering what the nature of war is, and how it can ne"ver be that we must conquer without bloodshed on our own "side; for there stands about us that fortune, which is of its "own nature mutable; that while they had killed so many "ten thousands of the Jews, they had now paid their small "share of the reckoning so late; and as it is the part of weak people to be too much puffed up with good success; so is "it the part of cowards to be too much affrighted at that "which is ill; for the change from the one to the other is "sudden on both sides and he is the best warrior, who is of a sober mind under misfortunes, that he may continue in that temper, and cheerfully recover what had been lost formerly and as for what had now happened, it was nei"ther owing to their own effeminacy, nor to the valour of "the Jews, but the difficulty of the place was the occasion "of their advantage, and of our disappointment. Upon re

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"flecting on which matter one might blame your zeal as per"fectly ungovernable; for when the enemy had retired to their highest fastnesses, you ought to have re-trained your"selves, and not, by presenting yourselves at the top of the city, to be exposed to dangers; but upon your having obtained the lower parts of the city, you ought to have provoked those that had retired thither to a safe and settled battle; whereas, in rushing so hastily upon victory, you took "no care of your safety. But this incautiousness of war, and this madness of zeal is not a Roman maxim, while we "perform all that we attempt by skill and good order; that procedure is the part of barbarians, and is what the Jews "chiefly support themselves by. We ought therefore to re"turn to our own virtue, and to be rather angry, than any "longer dejected at this unlucky misfortune, and let every one seek for his own consolation from his own hand; for by this means we will avenge those that have been destroyed, and punish those that have killed them. For myself I "will endeavour, as I have now done, to go first before you "against your enemies in every engagement, and to be the last that retires from it."

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7. So Vespasian encouraged his army by this speech: but for the people of Gamala, it happened that they took courage for a little while, upon such great and unaccountable success as they had had. But when they considered with themselves, that they had now no hopes of any terms of accommodation, and reflecting upon it that they could not get away, and that their provisions began already to be short, they were exceedingly cast down, and their courage failed them; yet did they not neglect what might be for heir preservation, so far as they were able, but the most courageous among them guarded those parts of the wall that were beaten down, while the more infirm did the same to the rest of the wall that still remained round the city. And as the Romans raised their banks, and attempted to get into the city a second time, a great many of them fled out of the city through impracticable valleys, where no guards were placed, as also through subterraneous caverns; while those that were afraid of being caught, and for that reason stayed in the city, perished for want of food; for what food they had was brought together from all quarters, and reserved for the fighting men.

8. And these were the hard circumstances the people of Gamala were in. But now Vespasian went about another

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