It was now the time of the passover; and though the festive joy that
was wont to pervade the once happy and favoured city at that sacred
season was gone for ever, yet even in these days of calamity the
hallowed festival still retained its hold on the hearts of the people
of Judah. Formerly the whole population of the land used to repair
with joyful feet to their holy and beloved city, where they found
every house open to receive visitors with a free and cheerful
hospitality. This thronging of the sons of Israel to offer up their
united praises for the deliverance of their forefathers from the
bondage of Egypt could now no longer be effected; yet great numbers
still repaired at the accustomed period to the metropolis, undeterred
by fears or obstacles from attempting to accomplish what they
regarded as a solemn duty and privilege. They found an entrance into
the city, but to retire from it was impossible, and this vast
addition to the population of the place only increased the misery of
the besieged, by hastening the consumption of the provisions that
were yet stored up for the day of want.
The recurrence of this holy feast at such a time of civil disorder
was also the occasion of other calamities, by causing the rupture of
the recently established peace between the factious leaders of the
city. The great day of sacrifice arrived. The priests were at their
stations, and all was ready for the celebration of the sacred rite.
Eleazar commanded the gates of the inner temple, where he still kept
his quarters, to be opened for the of the worshippers; when a party
of John's most desperate adherents stole in unperceived among the
crowd with swords and other weapons concealed beneath their cloaks.
No sooner were these ruffians within the gates than they cast aside
their cloaks, and brandishing their swords, fell upon the defenceless
multitude, who expected that a general massacre would follow. The
Zealots suspected that the stratagem was designed entirely for their
destruction, and leaving the gates undefended, they all fled away and
took refuge in the subterranean chambers beneath the temple. The
helpless crowd who had assembled to worship the Lord God of Israel
now gathered around the sacred altars for protection; but even the
sanctity of those hallowed spots was insufficient to preserve the
fugitives from the violence of the Zealots. Many were trampled to
death, and a still greater number slain either in mere wantonness and
cruelty, or to gratify private hatred. The altars flowed with blood,
but it was not the blood of the appointed victims shed for the
expiation of the sins of the people. It was the blood of human
beings, poured forth by the hands of murder and sacrilege, to fill up
the measure of Zion's iniquity, and call down the vengeance of an
insulted God!
At length the fierce partisans of John of Gischala were glutted with
robbery and carnage; and having taken possession of the inner
apartments of the temple, they made terms of peace with their enemies
who were concealed beneath. They permitted them to come up from
their places of refuge, and even to resume their arms, and remain
under the nominal command of their leader Eleazar; but in fact they
became a subordinate part of the faction attached to John, and thus
the sedition which before was divided into three parties was reduced
to two.
Meanwhile Titus was slowly and cautiously advancing towards the city.
He posted in the camp at Scopus a sufficient body of horse and foot
to guard against the incursions of the enemy, and then he employed
the rest of the army in levelling the whole space between the place
of encampment and the Tomb of Herod, near the pool called the
Fishpond of Serpents. All the fences and verdant hedges that
enclosed the orchards and gardens were torn up; and those beautifully
luxuriant spots where the inhabitants of Jerusalem had enjoyed so
many hours of recreation, were swept away by the merciless hand of
war. The trees were cut down, and the clear fountains filled up with
rubbish, that a broad and level road might be constructed from Scopus
to within a short distance of the outer wall of the city.
Simon was not idle during this interval; and as he was unable to meet
the advancing foe in a pitched battle, he had recourse to stratagems,
by which he hoped to obtain some advantage, however small. He placed
the enterprise under the conduct of Javan, as the most daring and
faithful of his officers; and the zealous young Jew readily accepted
the command. To the astonishment of the Romans they one day beheld a
considerable body of the Jews issue rapidly from a gate near the
Women's Tower, as if forcibly driven out by a stronger party within.
They supposed that this band consisted of the fiercer insurgents, and
that they were expelled by the party who desired peace. This idea
was confirmed by a number of Jews appearing on the wall, holding out
their hands, and making every sign that they would willingly receive
the Romans, and open their gates to them. At the same time they cast
down stones upon those whom they had driven out, and who were
cowering beneath the wall as if dreading the approach of the enemy,
and supplicating mercy from their countrymen.
The Roman soldiers who beheld this transaction were about to charge
in a body, but they were restrained by Titus, who suspected some
artifice, and commanded them to remain at their posts. A small
detachment, however, who were in front of the rest, employed under
the inspection of their centurion Rufus, seized their arms and rushed
towards the wall. Rufus, himself, in the ardour of the moment,
forgot the attention to discipline for which he was usually
remarkable. He recognised the hated and perfidious Javan among those
who now seemed exposed to destruction; and with a strong desire of
vengeance for all his cruelty and want of faith, he sprang forward
with his unsuspecting men. The Jews, who had advanced to meet them
at some distance from the wall, now fled to the gates, and were
followed by the inconsiderate Romans, until they found themselves
within the flanking towers. The artful Javan and his companions then
turned upon them, while others sallied forth and surrounded the
little band, and those on the walk hurled down stones and other
missiles on their heads. They suffered a considerable loss in killed
and wounded; but some of them escaped, with Rufus, fighting a valiant
retreat, and pursued by the enemy as far as the monument of Helena.
The Jews then retired, exulting in their victory, and when they
reached their walls they insulted the vanquished Romans by clashing
their shields and loading them with every ludicrous and opprobrious
name, for their folly in being so easily deceived.
The proud spirit of Rufus was roused to the uttermost at these
taunts, and he fiercely cast them back at Javan, with threats of
future vengeance. For the present, however, that vengeance was
beyond his reach, and he was forced to lead back the remnant of his
men to the camp, greatly discomfited at their defeat and loss. Nor
was this all, for they were received with severe reproofs by their
tribune for their breach of discipline; and so great was the
displeasure of Titus that he threatened to execute upon the offenders
the martial law, which punished even such breach of orders with
death. This announcement caused great sorrow throughout the army,
for Rufus and his brave men were deservedly loved and respected by
their comrades; and all the officers immediately gathered round the
general to implore his mercy. For some time he sternly refused to
listen to their entreaties, and it is probable that he might have
carried his harsh sentence into effect, as a warning to the rest of
the army, had it not been for the earnest intercessions of Marcellus.
The grief of his young friend and favourite, and the high opinion
which he had always entertained of Rufus, at length appeased his
anger; and he pardoned the offence of the centurion and his band upon
their pledging themselves to atone for the error by a strict
attention to regularity and discipline for the future.
This act of lenity increased the popularity of the general, and the
devotion of the army to his service. With fresh vigour they
proceeded to carry his schemes into execution, and in four days the
whole space from Scopus to the wall was levelled, for the conveyance
of the baggage and removal of the camp. The army took up their
position among the northern and western walls; the infantry in front,
the cavalry in the rear, and the archers between them. With this
impenetrable line between the city and the camp, they removed in
perfect safety all the heavy baggage, and Titus encamped within a
quarter of a mile from the outer wall, near the Tower of Psephina.
Another detachment of the army was posted near the Tower of Hippicus,
at some distance from head-quarters, and the tenth legion kept its
position near the Mount of Olives.
At this period Jerusalem was divided into different quarters, which
might almost be termed distinct cities, each inclosed in its own
walls, and all surrounded by the great outer wall, which was guarded
with towers of solid masonry, of the same kind as that which composed
the rest of the fortifications. The first or outer wall encompassed
the northern quarter called Bezetha. It was built of stones
thirty-five feet long, and so massive as to offer an almost
impenetrable obstacle even to the powerful battering-rams and other
formidable engines of the Romans. It was erected by King Agrippa the
First, and though it fell far short of his original design, it was
yet a work of great power and strength, being upwards of seventeen
feet in height, and the same in thickness. The Jews had carried it
up to the height of thirty-five feet, but not with the same stability
as that part which was built by Agrippa, and the summit was furnished
with battlements and pinnacles, which gave it a still greater
elevation.
The second wall enclosed a part of the lower city, and joined the
north-west corner of the strong citadel of Antonia. This fortress
was built on a high rock, and was separated from Bezetha by a deep
ditch. It stood at the north-west of the temple, and with that
beautiful and commanding edifice composed a separate and independent
portion of the city.
The most ancient part of the walk was that which surrounded Sion, the
southern quarter of the town, and containing the strong pile of
buildings called the City of David. It passed along the verge of the
Valley of Hinnom, and then turning northwards, joined the eastern
portico of the temple.
Thus the city was calculated to resist the strength and perseverance
of almost any army that could be brought against it, being composed
of four distinct quarters, each, it would seem, able to stand a
regular siege independent of the fate of the other portions.
The towers which guarded the whole of this circuit were thirty-five
feet high, and of the same width. On their summits were lofty
chambers, less solidly built, which were again surmounted with large
tanks to receive the rain-water. There were in all a hundred and
sixty-four of these massy towers, the ascent to which was by handsome
flights of steps; and the space from tower to tower being about three
hundred and fifty feet, the whole extent of the walls must have been
rather more than four miles.
Titus ascended the most elevated height in the neighbourhood of the
camp, attended by Marcellus and some other of his officers, with a
strong escort of cavalry. He wished to obtain a commanding view of
the celebrated city which he was destined to overthrow, so that not
one stone should remain upon another. Had he known what was to be
the fate of that splendid city, he would have regarded it with other
and more melancholy feelings. The intimate knowledge which Marcellus
possessed of the interior enabled him to point out to his admiring
general the situation of all its various quarters, and the most
distinguished buildings.
The fortress of Antonia, and the snowy walls of the temple adorned
with burnished gold, attracted the immediate attention of Titus, and
long he gazed on the wonderful pile, where art and wealth had
expended all their treasures. The citadel rose conspicuous above the
temple, on a steep rock ninety feet high. The body of the tower was
seventy feet in height, and it was finished at each corner by lofty
towers. It was provided within with every accommodation that luxury
could require, and was fitted rather for a royal palace than a
garrison for troops. The temple itself appeared a fitting edifice to
contain all the countless treasures that had once been lavished on
its altars and its walls by the piety of the sons of Zion, and which,
in spite of the frequent depredations that had been committed by
foreign and domestic foes, were still of surpassing value.
Titus surveyed all this magnificence, and the many other noble and
extensive buildings that lay before his view; and then he proceeded,
with some caution, to make an entire circuit of the city. Nicanor,
the tribune who had so greatly distinguished himself at Jotapata, was
one of those who followed the general, and by his side rode the
liberated captive Josephus. The Jew expressed an ardent wish to
approach the walls and address his countrymen, who were watching
their movements from the battlements and towers; and Nicanor
imprudently consented to accompany him, in the hope that their united
persuasions might have the effect of inclining the besieged to listen
to terms of peace. Josephus made an eloquent appeal to them,
describing the power and valour of the Romans, and vaunting also the
clemency and generosity of Titus towards those who submitted to his
arms. But while he was yet speaking, and extending his arms towards
his countrymen, as if to implore them to have pity on themselves, one
of those on the wall aimed an arrow at his breast, at the same time
assailing him with the epithets of coward and traitor. The shaft did
not reach its intended mark, but it pierced the arm of Nicanor, who
stood close to Josephus, and inflicted a severe wound.
Titus was highly exasperated at this act of wanton cruelty and
insult, which plainly showed that all attempts at bringing about
terms of capitulation would be in vain, and he instantly resolved on
commencing the siege without any further delay. He gave orders to
his soldiers to ravage and destroy the suburbs, and to bring away
everything that would be serviceable in raising their mounds and
completing their works. All the trees were quickly cut down, and the
suburbs, lately so blooming and beautiful, became naked and desolate.
Titus resolved to make his first attack on the outer wall which
surrounded Bezetha, because the buildings of that quarter did not
reach to the wall, which consequently appeared lower. The spot which
he selected was near the tomb of John the high-priest, and immediate
preparations were set on foot.
When the inhabitants of Jerusalem beheld the Roman works being
completed, and saw that the day of assault was near at hand, those
who had hitherto been entirely occupied in destroying their own
fellow-citizens, began at length to turn their attention in the
direction of the Romans--the foes alike of every faction--and the
more peaceable inmates enjoyed a temporary repose from their outrage
and violence. Many of them even hoped and prayed for the success of
the Roman arms, as the only means by which they could be rescued from
the power of enemies far more to be dreaded.
The force under the command of Simon consisted of 10,000 of his own
men, and 5,000 Idumeans; John of Gischala had 6,000; and 2,400 owned
Eleazar as their leader. The son of Gioras allowed himself and his
followers no respite to their labours. With vast exertion they
succeeded in raising the military engines, formerly taken from
Cestius, on the walls; but his men wanted skill to use them with much
effect, and the Romans continued their labours under the shelter of
their penthouses of wickerwork. Being also more practised in the use
of the destructive catapultas and balistas, they greatly annoyed the
besieged, and not only repelled their frequent sallies, but cast over
the walls stones of an enormous size from the distance of two
furlongs. These masses of rock carried death and ruin in their
track, and the Jews knew not how to guard against them; but as they
were generally of a very white colour they were enabled to see them
approaching, and numbers of men were placed on the wall to watch for
these silent and deadly enemies. These sentinels gave notice to
their comrades the moment they perceived the stone leave the engine,
by crying, "The bolt is coming!" when they immediately separated, and
threw themselves flat on the ground, so that the rock generally
passed harmless over them. This stratagem was observed by the
Romans, and they afterwards took the precaution of blackening the
stones, which completely baffled the besieged, and rendered these
tremendous implements fearfully destructive.
Notwithstanding the great terror and loss occasioned by these
engines, the Jews did not suffer their enemies to proceed undisturbed
with the mounds which they were erecting, but were incessant in their
sallies, and in the artifices which they employed to interrupt their
labours. All their efforts were, however, unsuccessful, and the
works were speedily completed. Then the engines were brought to a
proper distance from the walls, and strongly guarded against the
excursions of the besieged. The signal was given, and at the same
moment a thundering noise resounded through every part of the city.
On three different parts of the walls the battering-rams were let
loose together, and terror ran through the heart of almost every
dweller in Jerusalem. The soldiers of the besieged city raised a
general and terrific shout, in reply to the first strokes of the ram;
and all private animosities, all party feuds, appeared to be
forgotten in the dreadful excitement that ensued. Convinced that
nothing remained but to unite all parties in the common cause, Simon
proclaimed an amnesty to all of John's adherents who would join his
men in defence of the wall; and though John was himself too
suspicious of his rival leader to venture out of his stronghold, yet
he did not oppose his followers obeying the summons. The two
factions combined in their efforts to set the engines on fire by
discharging combustibles from above, while strong parties sallied
from the gates below, tore away the palisades and killed many of the
engineers.
Titus was unwearied in his exertions. Wherever assistance and
counsel were wanted, there was he to be seen in person, and his
courage and presence of mind equalled his activity. His personal
inspection and encouragement excited his troops to fresh exertions,
and at length a tower which stood at an angle of the wall came down
beneath the blows of the battering-ram; but its fall made no breach
in the walls. The besieged drew back as if in terror at this event,
and the Romans were unsuspicious of any immediate attack, when
suddenly a large body of the enemy rushed out from a gate near the
Tower of Hippicus, and fell upon them with resistless fury and
impetuosity. They were furnished with flaming brands, for the
purpose of setting fire to the engines, and they soon reached the
intrenchments. Had they not been most valiantly opposed by a party
of Alexandrians, they must have succeeded in destroying all those
dreaded machines; but while they struggled fiercely with their
opponents round the engines Titus came galloping up, attended by his
cavalry. With his own hand he laid twelve of the Jews dead on the
ground, and the rest at length retreated, leaving one of their number
a prisoner in the hands of the Romans. This unhappy man was
immediately made fearful example of, being crucified before the
walls, in the hope of deterring his countrymen from making any more
such desperate sallies. He was the first--would that he had proved
the last!--of these rebellious people who was treated with such cruel
and unjustifiable barbarity, and made to endure those torments which
their fathers had inflicted on the innocent, the holy, the divine
Jesus of Nazareth. But the fate of this victim to Roman severity did
not in the least degree deter his fellow-citizens from exposing
themselves to the same perils, whenever they could hope to gain the
most trifling advantage over the enemy. They continued the conflict
until night put an end to their efforts, and the Romans retired to
their camp exhausted with the severe exertions of the day.
With the morning dawn the battle was renewed, and again the terrific
sound of the battering-rams came like thunder on the ears of the
besieged. One of those dreadful engines had been named by the Jews
"Nico," or "The Victorious," for they observed that nothing seemed
able to resist the overwhelming strength of its blows. The dreaded
Nico continued to work with unabated vigour throughout the day, and
at night it ceased not to thunder against the wall, until at length
it began to totter. When the Jews saw that a breach was to be
apprehended, they forsook the wall, and abandoned all further
attempts at defending it. The showers of darts and arrows which
their enemies were able to pour down upon them from the lofty towers
which they had erected to overlook the battlements, had for some time
forced them to descend from the summit of the wall, and leave the
battering-rams to continue their destructive blows without any effort
to interrupt them. They were also wearied with exertion, and anxious
to return to their own houses within the second wall, and therefore
they deserted the suburb, and left Bezetha an easy prey to the
conqueror.
Those of the inhabitants who still remained in that quarter fled to
the more secure parts of the city, and the gateways were thronged
with terrified fugitives, carrying all that was portable of their
possessions, and hurrying from the expected incursion of the Romans.
The confusion and alarm that already prevailed in the city were
augmented by this sudden influx of a destitute population, who were
entirely dependent on the charity and hospitality of their
fellow-citizens for shelter and subsistence. These social virtues
had almost expired in that miserable city, while selfishness and
avarice reigned triumphant on every side. Few were found willing to
receive and comfort their distressed brethren, and the sufferings of
these wretched people were extreme. But some individuals were yet
remaining in Jerusalem in whose hearts all the better and nobler
feelings were not extinguished, and who gladly offered an asylum to
as many of the fugitives as their dwellings would contain. Among
these Zadok was the most distinguished, and his benevolence set a
bright example to the rich and noble of the city. Several families
were brought under the shelter of his roof, and received from the
hands of Naomi and Deborah all the assistance and relief that their
destitute condition required.
Salome was at this time but little able to support the constant
excitement of terror in which she lived from day to day; and the
appalling sounds that reached her ears told her sinking heart that
the destined ruin was approaching very nigh. Naomi had hitherto used
every precaution to conceal from her mother the progress that the
enemy was daily making, and the slaughter that was effected among
their countrymen. It would but have augmented her terror and her
grief, and added to the constant anxiety which she felt from the
perils to which both Zadok and Javan were exposed. But when Bezetha
was abandoned to the conqueror, and the inhabitants rushed
tumultuously into the inner city, mingled with the troops, and
uttering wild cries of terror, the truth could no longer be
disguised, and Salome learnt that the Roman eagles were even then
being planted on one of the walls of Jerusalem. Soon the whole of
the deserted quarter was in the possession of the enemy, and Titus
having ordered a large portion of the outer wall to be thrown down,
took up his position near what was called the Camp of the Assyrians.
His troops commenced an immediate attack on the second wall, and were
resisted with dauntless courage by the Jews. John and his party
maintained the conflict from the citadel of Antonia and the northern
porticoes of the temple, while Simon's men defended the wall as far
as the aqueduct that passed to the Tower of Hippicus. Many and
fierce were the sallies of the besieged, but as often as they rushed
on the well-disciplined foe, they were driven back with considerable
loss. That night both parties remained under arms, as the Romans
every moment expected a sudden attack, and the Jews feared to leave
their walls defenceless.
As soon as daylight returned the engagement was renewed, and never
was a contest maintained with greater vigour and courage than were
displayed on either side. The Jews strove to emulate one another in
their contempt of danger, and in the fearless exposure of their
lives, for they fought beneath the eye of Simon; and such were the
awe and reverence with which he had inspired his followers, that they
were willing to brave every peril in the hope of obtaining his
approbation. Titus exercised the same influence over his troops, and
the pride of their first success, joined to his continual presence,
excited them to a stubborn and unconquerable courage.
The central tower of the second wall was the point against which the
chief efforts of the Romans were directed, and the dreaded Nico was
brought to bear upon it with all its resistless force. This tower
had been committed by Simon to the care and defence of Javan; and a
strong garrison was placed under his command for the protection of so
important a post. The Romans soon drove away almost all these men by
the cloud of arrows which they sent among them from their own movable
buildings which they had brought to look down upon them, and Javan
remained with only ten companions. He scorned to fly, and determined
to have recourse to a stratagem by which an advantage might be gained
to his party. He therefore desired his men to remain quiet for some
time, and conceal themselves as much as possible from the enemy. But
when the tower began to totter above their heads, he directed them to
start up and stretch forth their hands, as if imploring mercy. At
the same time he advanced to the battlements of the tower in a
supplicating attitude, and called loudly on the name of Titus. His
voice reached the ears of the general, who immediately gave orders
for the assault to be suspended, and commanded Javan to speak. The
artful Jew replied that it was his sincere desire to surrender, and
throw himself upon the generosity of the noble Titus, and that he had
endeavoured to bring all those under his command to the same
determination. As he made this deceitful speech five of his men
appeared to take his part, while the rest declared that they would
never be slaves to the Romans, as long as death was in their power.
A fierce quarrel seemed to follow these declarations, and the assault
was in the meantime entirely suspended. Javan observed this, and
instantly sent one of his men secretly to inform Simon of his
artifice, and advise him to take advantage of the temporary cessation
of the siege, and to concert measures for some vigorous sally, while
he endeavoured as long as possible to attract the attention of the
enemy.
He then continued his pretended expostulation with the adverse party
of his own men, who stood on the breastworks, brandishing their
swords with a menacing air, and at length, as if resolved to die
rather than yield, struck their own breasts with violence, and fell,
seemingly dead. The Romans were completely deceived by this
pretended act of devotion to liberty, and even pitied the fate of the
self-destroyed victims; but one of them, less generous than the rest,
discharged an arrow at Javan, and wounded him in the face. He
withdrew the shaft and held it reproachfully towards Titus, who
sternly rebuked the man who had shot it, and desired Josephus to
advance towards the tower and speak with the Jew. He, however, knew
his own countrymen too well to place himself within their reach, and
declined the errand, but a deserter named Æneas offered to go in his
stead. Javan called to him to come close to the wall, that he might
throw down to him some money as a pledge of his good faith; and when
Æneas spread out the folds of his cloak to receive it, he cast at him
a large stone with the intention of crushing him on the spot. He
missed his aim, but wounded a soldier who stood near him, and Titus
then saw that the whole affair was a treacherous device to gain time.
He was enraged at the deceit which had been practised upon him, and
gave instant orders for the assault to be resumed with fresh vigour.
Javan perceived that no further advantage was to be obtained, and in
desperation he and his men set fire to the tower in several places.
It blazed rapidly up around them, and when the flames were high and
fierce they leaped boldly into the midst of them, and again deceived
the Romans into a belief that they had bravely sacrificed their
lives. It was but another artifice, for they had thrown themselves
into a secret passage that led underground to the interior of the
city, where they soon appeared, and boasted of their success in
keeping the enemy so long inactive.
On the fifth day from that on which Titus became master of the first
wall, the second also was taken, and the Jews retreated. The Roman
general entered that quarter of the lower city with a thousand
men-at-arms and a few other chosen troops, and found himself in the
midst of those streets occupied by the clothiers, the wool-merchants,
and the coppersmiths, with many narrow lanes, leading to the walls in
every direction. In the hope of gaining over the people to his side,
and convincing them that their wisest course would be to submit
without any farther struggle, Titus gave strict orders that no houses
should be set on fire or injured, and no massacre committed. He
caused it to be proclaimed that he did not wage war against the
defenceless population, but against the insurgent garrison; and that
to all the peaceable inhabitants he would readily restore their
property. The leaders of the Jews and their seditious troops
regarded this lenity as a proof of weakness, and threatened instant
death to all who should attempt to utter a word of surrendering.
They stabbed without mercy every one whom they suspected of wishing
for peace, and then fell furiously on the enemy as they passed along
the streets. Some poured their darts and arrows upon them from the
houses, and others rushed upon them by the intricate and narrow lanes
with which they were well acquainted, but which embarrassed the
Romans greatly. Others sallied out of the walls that were already
lost, by gates which were not yet guarded by the conquering army, and
attacked their enemy in the rear. Advance or retreat seemed alike
difficult for the Romans, and but for the presence of Titus, who came
in person to their relief with a band of archers, a dreadful loss
would probably have been sustained. He, however, succeeded in
driving back the countless assailants on every side, and brought off
the greatest part of his men; but the conquest which had been won
with so much labour and bloodshed was again lost, and the Jews
regained possession of the second wall.
This success inspired the insurgent troops with the greatest joy and
confidence, and they doubted not that if ever the Romans again gained
an entrance into the city they should be able to repulse them as they
had already done; but they did not consider the progress of that more
certain enemy that already was working its silent way through the
city, and daily adding to the victims of misery and violence. The
cruel and desperate soldiery had hitherto lived in plenty on what
they plundered from the people, and they heeded not the distress
which they inflicted, and beneath which many were continually sinking
and expiring. Indeed they rather rejoiced in thus ridding the city
of some part of its disaffected populace, and continued to seize on
all the provisions that came in their way and retain them fur their
own use. They were unable to repair the breach which the Romans had
made in the wall, but with determined resolution they presented
themselves to fill it with their own bodies, and for three days they
fought without intermission. Vast numbers fell on the spot, but
their comrades slept undauntedly upon their bleeding carcasses to
supply their place and share their fate. On the fourth day they gave
way, and were compelled to abandon the post; when Titus again took
possession of the wall, and caused a large part of it to be razed to
the ground, while he strongly garrisoned the remaining portion.
Still Antonia and the temple looked proudly down upon the conquering
arms of Rome, and all the high places of Sion and David's city
remained in their strength; and the garrisons were undismayed at the
loss they had sustained. Titus resolved to allow the besieged a
little time for reflection, in the hope that the peaceable party
might yet prevail before it should be too late, and persuade the
rebels to surrender. In order to impress the besieged still more
with the strength and discipline of his army, he employed the
interval which he allowed them from their exertions in taking a grand
review of all his troops within sight of the city. From every window
and every tower that commanded a view of the splendid pageant the
Jewish people and their tyrant defenders looked down with
consternation and dismay, while the whole Roman army, in their best
equipments, defiled beyond the wall. It was a brilliant spectacle,
for all the arms were uncased, and the polished shields and
breastplates exposed uncovered to glitter in the sunbeams; while the
cavalry followed, leading their beautiful and richly-caparisoned
horses, whose trappings gleamed with gold and silver. All ranks, all
classes of persons, were assembled to look on their destined
destroyers; and truly it was a sight that might strike terror into
the boldest hearts, or induce any beleaguered people to lay down
their arms, except the obstinate and insurgent Jews, who felt that
they had too deeply offended to hope for any terms from the Romans.
This beautiful but appalling spectacle was presented to the eyes of
the besieged for four days; but no offers of capitulation were
made--no overtures of peace reached the Roman general; and with
reluctance he gave orders for the siege to be recommenced. The first
step was to raise lofty mounds against the Antonia, and also against
that part of the wall which was defended by Simon. The Jews had by
this time learned to use their military engines with great dexterity,
and they now plied them with deadly effect against the Romans
employed in constructing the works. Titus was willing once more to
give them an offer of peace, and far this purpose he sent Josephus
again to address them; and having found a spot where he could be
heard without being exposed to the arrows and darts of his
countrymen, he made to them a long and eloquent speech. He used
every argument that religion or humanity could furnish. Many of the
people were touched by his earnest expostulations; but the Zealots
were only the more irritated and enraged; and their fury knew no
bounds when they discovered that numbers of the miserable populace
were deserting to the enemy. Many sold all that they possessed in
the city, and then fled; others swallowed their money and jewels, and
then escaped to the Roman camp, where they were kindly received, and
suffered to pass unmolested to whatever place they chose. Their
success emboldened others, and all the efforts of John and Simon were
ineffectual to restrain the constant desertions that now took place.
Their partizans watched every avenue and outlet with the greatest
care and diligence, and cruelly slaughtered all whom they suspected
of an intention to desert. This charge also served as a convenient
pretext on which they could seize and massacre any one whose wealth
they coveted, and numbers were put to death who were innocent of any
such design as that of which the murderers accused them.