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cloisters. Now the Jews did not interrupt them in so doing but when they were gotten up, they fell upon them, and fought with them. Some of them they thrust down, and threw them backwards headlong. Others of them they met, and slew. They also beat many of those that went down the ladders again, and slew them with their swords, before they could bring their shields to protect them. Nay, some of the ladders they threw down from above, when they were full of armed men. A great slaughter was made of the Jews also at the same time: while those that bore the ensigns fought hard for them as deeming it a terrible thing, and what would tend to their great shame, if they permitted them to be stolen away. Yet did the Jews, at length get possession of these engines; and destroyed those that had gone up the ladders : while the rest were so intimidated by what those suffered who were slain, that they retired. Although none of the Romans died without having done good service before their death. Of the seditious, those that had fought bravely in the former battles did the like now as besides them did Eleazar, the brother's son of Simon the tyrant. But when Titus perceived that his endeavours to spare a foreign temple turned to the damage of his own soldiers, and made them be killed, he gave order to set the gates on fire.

In the mean time there deserted to him Ananus, who came from Emmaus, the most sanguinary of all Simon's guards; and Archelaus, the son of Magadatus; they hoping to be still forgiven, because they left the Jews at a time when they were the conquerors. Titus objected this to these men, as a cunning trick of theirs.And as he had been informed of their other barbarities towards the Jews, he was going, in all haste, to have them both slain. He told them, that "They were only driven to this desertion because of the extreme distress they were in and did not come away of their own good disposition. And that those did not deserve to be preserved, by whom their own city was already set on fire out of which fire they now hurried themselves away." However, the security he had promised deserters overcame his resentment; and he dismissed them accordingly; though he did not give them the same privileges that he had afforded to others. And now the soldiers had already put fires to the gates; and the silver that was over them quickly carried the flames to the wood that was within

it whence it spread itself all on the sudden, and caught hold of the cloisters. Upon seeing this fire all about them, the spirits of the Jews sunk, together with their bodies and they were under such astonishment, that not one of them made any haste either to defend himself, or to quench the fire: but they stood as mute spectators. However, they did not so grieve at the loss of what was now burning, as to grow wiser thereby for the time to come. But as though the holy house itself had been on fire already, they whetted their passions against the Romans. This fire prevailed during that day, and the next also. For the soldiers were not able to burn all the cloisters that were round about, together at one time, but only by parts.

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On the next day, Titus commanded part of his army to quench the fire, and to make a road for the more easy marching up of the legions while he himself gathered the commanders together. Of those were assembled the six principal persons, Tiberius Alexander, the commander, under the general of the whole army, with Sextus Cerealis, the commander of the fifth legion; Larcius Lepidus, the commander of the tenth legion; and Titus Frigius, the commander of the fifteenth legion. There was also with them Eternius, the leader of the two legions that came from Alexandria, and Marcus Antonius Julianus, procurator of Judea. After these came together also the rest of the procurators, and tribunes. Titus proposed to these, that they should give him their advice what should be done about the holy house. Now some of these thought, it would be the best way to act according to the rules of war, and demolish it: because the Jews would never leave off rebelling, while that house was standing: at which house it was that they used to assemble together. Others were of opinion, that in case the Jews would leave it, and none of them would lay their arms up in it, he might save it: but that in case they got upon it, and fought any more, he might burn it; because it must then be looked upon not as a holy house, but as a citadel; and that the impiety of burning it would then belong to those that forced this to be done, and not to them. But Titus said, "Although the Jews should get upon that holy house, and fight us thence, yet ought we not to revenge ourselves on things that are inanimate, instead of the men themselves." And he added, that he was not

in any case for burning down so vast a work as that was: because this would be a mischief to the Romans themselves as it would be an ornament to their government while it continued. So Tronto, Alexander, and Cerealis, grew bold upon that declaration 1; and agreed to the opinion of Titus. Then was this assembly dissolved; when Titus had given order to the commanders, that the rest of their forces should lie still; but that they should make use of such as were most courageous in this attack. So he commanded that the chosen men taken out of the cohorts should make their way through the ruins, and quench the fire.

On this day the Jews were so weary, and under such consternation, that they refrained from any attacks. But on the next day they gathered their whole force together, and ran upon those that guarded the outward court of the temple, very boldly, through the east gate; and this about the second hour of the day. These guards received their attack with great bravery; and by covering themselves with their shields before, as if it were with a wall, they drew their squadron close together. Yet was it evident that they could not abide there very long; but would be overborne by the multitude of those that sallied out upon them, and by the heat of their passion. However, Cæsar seeing, from the tower of Antonia, that this squadron was likely to give way, sent some chosen horsemen to support them. Hereupon the Jews found themselves unable to sustain their onset: and upon the slaughter of those in the forefront, many of the rest were put to flight. But as the Romans were going off, the Jews turned upon them, and fought them. And as those Romans came back upon them, they retreated again, until about the fifth hour of the day they were overborne, and shut themselves up in the inner court of the temple.

So Titus retired into the tower of Antonia: and resolved to storm the temple, the next morning, with his whole army: and to encamp round about the holy house. But as for that house, God had, for certain, long ago doomed it to fire. And now that fatal day was come according to the revolution of ages; it was the *tenth day of the month Lous, or Ab: upon which it was formerly burnt by the king of Babylon. Although these flames

*See Antiquities, X. 8, and Constitut. Apost. V. 20. VOL. IV. 36

took their rise from the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them. For upon Titus's retiring, the seditious lay still for a little while, and then attacked the Romans again; when those that guarded the holy house fought with those that quenched the fire that was burning the inner court of the temple. But these Romans put the Jews to flight; and proceeded as far as the holy house itself. At which time one of the soldiers, without staying for any orders, and without any concern or dread upon him at so great an undertaking, and being hurried on by a certain divine fury, snatched somewhat out of the materials that were on fire; and being lifted up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window, through which there was a passage to the rooms that were round about the holy house, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward, the Jews made a great clamour, such as so mighty an affliction required; and ran together to prevent it. And now they spared not their lives any longer; nor suffered any thing to restrain their force, since that holy house was perishing, for whose sake it was that they kept such a guard about it.

Now a certain person came running to Titus, and told him of this fire, as he was reposing in his tent, after the last battle: upon which he arose in great haste, and ran to the holy house; in order to have a stop put to the fire. After him went all his commanders, and after them followed the several legions, in great astonishment. So there was a great clamour and tumult raised, as was natural upon the disorderly motion of so great an army. Then did Cæsar, both by calling to the soldiers that were fighting, with a loud voice; and by giving a signal to them with his right hand, order them to quench the fire. But they did not hear what he said; though he spake so loud: having their ears already dinned by a greater noise another way. Nor did they attend to the signal he made with his hand: some of them being distracted with fighting, and others with passion. But as for the legions that came running thither, neither any persuasion, nor threatenings could restrain their violence: but each one's own passion was his commander at this time. And as they were crowding into the temple together, many of them were trampled on by one another : while a great number fell among the ruins of the cloisters which were still hot, and smoking; and were destroyed in the same

miserable way with those whom they had conquered. And when they were come near the holy house, they made as if they did not so much as hear Cæsar's orders to the contrary: but they encouraged those that were before them to set it on fire. As for the seditious, they were in too great distress already to afford their assistance towards quenching the fire. They were every where slain, and every where beaten. And as for a great part of the people, they were weak, and without arms, and had their throats cut wherever they were caught. Now round about the altar lay dead bodies, heaped one upon another: as at the steps going up to it, ran a great quantity of their blood: whither also the dead bodies that were slain above on the altar fell down.

Now, since Cæsar was no way able to restrain the enthusiastical fury of the soldiers, and the fire proceeded on more and more, he went into the holy place of the temple, with his commanders; and saw it, with what was in it: which he found to be far superior to what had been related by foreigners; and not inferior to what we ourselves boasted of, and believed about it. But as the flame had not as yet reached to its inward parts, but was still consuming the rooms that were about the holy house only; and Titus supposing, that the house itself might yet be saved, he came up in haste, and endeavoured to persuade the soldiers to quench the fire; and gave order to Liberalius the centurion, and one of those spearmen that were about him, to beat the soldiers that were refractory with their staves, and to restrain them. Yet were their passions too strong for the regards they had for Cæsar, and the dread they had of him, who forbade them as was their hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement inclination to fight them too hard for them also. Moreover, the hope of plunder iuduced many to go on; as supposing that all the places within were full of money and as seeing that all round about it was made of gold. And besides, one of those that went into the place prevented Cæsar, when he ran so

*These steps to the altar of burnt-offering, seems here either an improper and inaccurate expression of Josephus's; since it was unlawful to make ladder steps (see Description of the Temple, Chap. xiii. and note on Antiq. IV. 8.) or else those steps, or stairs we now use, were invented before the days of Herod the Great; and had been here built by him. Though the later Jews always deny it: and say, that even Herod's altar was ascended to by an acclivity only.

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