Mingling with the crowd, John and his followers made their way
through the Damascus Gate into Jerusalem, and followed the Damascus
Street to the Gate of Ephraim. An air of sombre misery pervaded the
whole population. In their hearts the greater portion of the
population had, for many months, been longing for the approach of
the Romans. Even death would be preferable to the misery which they
suffered. There were but few people in the streets; for all
remained in their houses, with closed doors, save when necessity
drove them out to make purchases. Turning sharp round by the wall,
the members of the band made their way along by it, until they were
met by one or other of those who had gone on in advance, and were
conducted to the house which had been hired for them.
The inhabitants of the houses near looked out of their windows in
alarm, when they saw so many armed men arriving; but they gained
courage, on observing their quiet and orderly demeanor; and doors
were presently unbolted, and men came out to inquire who were the
newcomers. When they were told that they were from Galilee and
Peraea, and had come down only to fight for the Holy City--that
they would harm no one, and had nothing in common with any of the
factions--confidence was restored, and offers were at once made to
take in ten, fifteen, or twenty men, according to the size of the
houses; for the people soon saw that the new arrivals would prove a
protection from the attacks and insults of small numbers of Simon's
men--who had hitherto pervaded the lower town, breaking into
houses, robbing and murdering wheresoever they chose.
The grain was all stored in the house that had been hired; and here
John took up his quarters, with the men of his own company and
those of Asher, one of his bravest and most determined captains.
The rest were all accommodated in houses in the same street. And as
this, like most of the streets of Jerusalem, was very narrow, John
felt that it could be defended against an attack by a greatly
superior force.
It was but half an hour after the band had been settled in their
quarters that a shriek was heard at the end of the street. John ran
out in time to see a woman struck down; while a body of some twenty
half-drunken soldiers, with drawn swords, were trying to force in
the door of a house. John sounded his bugle, and there was a rush
of armed men into the street. John put himself at the head of the
two companies with him, and advanced against the soldiers, and
sternly ordered them to desist. The soldiers, astonished by the
sudden appearance of so large a body of armed men, drew back in
astonishment.
"Who are you?" one, who seemed to be their leader, asked.
"It matters not who I am," John said, quietly. "It is enough, as
you see, that I have a force here sufficiently strong to make
myself obeyed. This street, henceforth, is mine; and beware of
attempting plunder or violence here, for whoever does so surely
dies!"
Muttering threats below their breath, the soldiers sullenly
withdrew. An hour later, one of the inhabitants ran in to inform
John that a large body of men were coming down from the upper city.
John immediately called his men to arms and, at their head, took up
his position at the end of the street.
Ere long, a crowd of soldiers were seen approaching. At their head
strode one whom John at once guessed to be Simon, himself. When he
arrived within ten paces Simon stopped, surprised at the compact
order and resolute appearance of the band which filled the street.
"Who are you?" he asked John, imperiously.
"My name is John, and I am generally called John of Gamala,
although that is not my birthplace."
Simon uttered an exclamation of astonishment; for the tales of
John's attack upon the Roman camp at Gamala, and of his subsequent
actions against the Romans, were well known in Jerusalem.
"You are but a lad," Simon said, contemptuously, "and John of
Gamala must be a warrior!"
"I am John of Gamala," John repeated, quietly, "and these men are
part of my band. We have come down to defend Jerusalem, since there
is no more to be done in the open country. We wish to interfere
with none, to take part with no faction, but simply to defend the
city. We war with the Romans, and not with Jews. We assault no one,
but woe be to him who assaults us! Here are six hundred of us, each
man ready to die; and though you have twenty men to one, yet will
we withstand you, if you meddle with us.
"By tonight, the Romans will be outside the walls. Is this the time
that Jews should fall upon each other, like wild beasts?"
Simon hesitated. The idea of opposition excited him, as usual, to
fury but, upon the other hand, he saw that this determined body
were not to be overcome, save with great loss, and he wanted his
men for his struggles with the Zealots.
"You are not in correspondence with John of Gischala?" he asked,
doubtfully.
"I am in correspondence with none," John said. "As I have told you,
we come only to fight for Jerusalem; and will take no part, on one
side or other, in your dissensions. We have taken up this street,
between this gate and the Corner Gate, and this street we will
hold."
Simon still hesitated. He saw that, round this nucleus of
determined men, the whole of the citizens of the lower town might
gather; and that he might be forced to confine himself to the upper
town. This, however, would be of no great importance, now. The
inner, lower town was the poor quarter of Jerusalem. Here dwelt the
artisans and mechanics, in the narrow and tortuous lanes; while the
wealthier classes resided either in the upper town, where stood the
palaces of the great; or in the new town, between the second and
third walls.
The new town had, indeed, until lately been a suburb outside the
walls. Agrippa had begun the third wall--which was to inclose
this--and, had he been allowed to build it according to his design,
he would have made Jerusalem absolutely impregnable, save by
famine; but the authorities at Rome, knowing how turbulent were the
population of Jerusalem, and foreseeing that at some time they
might have to lay siege to the city, had forbidden its construction;
and the new wall had been hastily erected by the Jews, themselves,
after they had risen and defeated Cestius, four years before. This
wall inclosed a vast number of villas, with gardens and open spaces,
now thickly tenanted by the temporary habitations of the fugitives
and pilgrims.
The lower town, then, contained but little to tempt the cupidity of
Simon's troops. Its houses had, indeed, been ransacked over and
over again; and Simon reflected that, even should his men be
prevented from descending into it, it would matter but little
while, as it was separated from the upper town by the Tyropoeon
Valley, and the first wall, no rising there could be a formidable
danger to him. Still, it galled him to be resisted and, had it not
been that the Romans were close at hand, he would at once have
given his men orders to attack the strangers.
He stood for some minutes, stroking his beard, and then said:
"I will give you no answer, now. I will think over what you say,
till tomorrow, then we will talk again."
"I doubt not what your decision will be," John said. "You are a
brave man, Simon; and although you have done much harm to the Jews,
yet I know that you will defend Jerusalem, to the end, against the
Romans. You need feel no jealousy of me. I aspire to no leadership,
or power. I am here only to fight, and six hundred such men as mine
are not to be despised in the day of trial. Should the Romans march
away, baffled, before the walls, I, too, shall leave; and you, who
remain, can resume your mad struggles, if you will. But I think
that, in the presence of the enemy, all strife within the city
should cease; and that we should be as one man, in the face of the
Romans."
Simon looked with surprise, and some admiration, at the young man
who so boldly addressed him. Savage and cruel as he was, Simon was
a man of the greatest bravery. He had none of the duplicity and
treachery which characterized John of Gischala, but was
straightforward and, in his way, honest. As only his picture has
come down to us, as described by the pen of Josephus who, at the
time of his writing his history, had become thoroughly a Roman, and
who elevated Titus and his troops at the expense of his own
countrymen, great allowance must be made for the dark colors in
which he is painted. The fact that he was regarded with affection
and devotion by his troops, who were willing to go to certain death
at his orders, shows that at least there must have been many good
qualities in him; and history records no instance of more desperate
and sustained bravery than he exhibited in defense of Jerusalem.
The frankness of John's speech, instead of angering him, pleased
him much.
"Enough," he said. "I need no further time to reflect. A man who
had thought of treachery would not speak so boldly, and fearlessly,
as you do. Let us be friends.
"I have often wondered what sort of man was the John of Gamala of
whom I have heard so much, and who has so long kept the field
against the Romans; and although I wonder greatly at seeing you so
young a man, yet I rejoice that so valiant a fighter should be
here, to aid us in the struggle. Here is my hand, in token of
amity."
John took the hand held out to him, and a shout of satisfaction
rose from the armed men on either side--the followers of John being
rejoiced that they would not be called upon to engage in civil
strife, those of Simon well satisfied that they were not to be
called upon to attack a body of men who looked such formidable
antagonists.
Just at this moment, a man rode in at the gate, saying that the
Romans were but two miles distant, and would speedily make their
appearance over the Hill of Scopus. Simon ordered a party of his
men to proceed at once to Damascus Gate, and to close it as soon as
the Romans were visible. Then he turned again to John.
"Come up with me," he said, "to the Palace of Herod. From its
summit, we can see the enemy approaching."
Giving orders to his men to lay aside their arms, and calling Jonas
to accompany him, John without hesitation turned to accompany
Simon. The latter had hardly expected him to accept his invitation,
and the readiness with which he did so at once pleased and
gratified him. It was a proof of fearlessness, and a testimony to
John's belief in his faith and honor. John of Gischala, treacherous
himself, would not have placed himself in his power, whatever the
guarantee he gave for his safety; while he himself would not have
confided himself to John of Gischala, though the latter had sworn
to his safety with his hand on the altar.
John, himself, was struck with the rugged grandeur of Simon's
appearance. He was far above the stature of ordinary men, and of
immense strength; and there was, nevertheless, an ease and
lightness in his carriage which showed that he was no less active
than strong. His face was leonine in expression. His long hair fell
back from his forehead, his eyebrows were heavy, his eyes were gray
and clear; with a fierce and savage expression when his brows met
in a frown, and his lips were firmly set; but at other times frank,
open, and straightforward in their look. The mouth was set and
determined, without being hard; and a pleasant smile, at times, lit
up his features. He was a man capable of strong affections, and
generous impulses.
He was cruel, at times; but it was an age of cruelty; and Titus
himself, who is held up as a magnanimous general, was guilty of far
more hideous cruelties than any committed by Simon. Had the latter
been master of Jerusalem from the first, and had not the granaries
been destroyed in the civil war, the legions of Titus would never
have achieved the conquest of the city.
Ascending the steep slope of the valley, they passed through the
gate in the first wall and, turning to the right, entered the
Palace of Herod, which was at once a royal dwelling, and a fortress
of tremendous strength. Much as John's thoughts were otherwise
occupied, he could not help being struck by the magnificence and
splendor of this noble building; but he said nothing as Simon
strode along through the forum, passed out beyond the palace
itself, entered the strong and lofty tower of Phasaelus, and
ascended to its summit.
An involuntary exclamation burst from John, as he gained the
platform. From the point on which he stood, he commanded a view of
the whole city, and of the country round. Far below, at his feet,
lay the crowded streets of the inner town; between which and the
outer wall the ground was thickly occupied by houses of the better
class, standing half-embowered in trees. Close beside him rose the
stately towers of Hippicus and Mariamne. Behind him was the Palace
of Herod, standing on the ground once occupied by the Castle of
David. On the east the Palace of Agrippa partly obscured the view
of the Temple; but a portion of the building could be seen,
standing on its platform on the summit of Mount Moriah. To its
left, and connected with it by two lines of cloisters, was the
castle of Antonia while, still further along, was the fort known as
Acra. Behind the Palace of Herod, and its superb gardens, were
scattered the palaces and mansions of the wealthy Jews and
strangers which, with their gardens, occupied the whole of the
upper part of Mount Zion. On the lower slope of Mount Moriah, lying
between the Valley of Jehoshaphat and that of the Tyropoeon, was a
densely-populated suburb known as the New Town. Westward, beyond
the Tower of Hippicus, lay the valley of Hinnom, with the Dragon
Pool glistening in the sun while, at a distance of four or five
miles, to the southward could be seen the village of Bethlehem. The
whole country outside the walls was a garden, with countless
villas, mansions, and groves of trees.
For some minutes, John looked round in admiration of the scene,
while Simon stood with his eyes fixed upon the road crossing Mount
Scopus. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation, and John joined him,
and looked in the direction in which he was gazing. The white line
of the road was darkened by a moving mass, sparkling as the sun
shone on arms and armor.
"They come, at last," Simon said and, as he spoke, cries of wailing
and lamentation were heard from the walls, far below them.
The four years that had elapsed, since danger first threatened
Jerusalem, had deepened the impression in the minds of the Jews
that the enemy would not be permitted to approach the Holy City. It
was true that their faith had been sorely shaken, by many strange
prodigies. A strange light had shone about the altar and the
Temple, and it was said that voices had been heard from the Holy of
Holies, saying, "Let us depart hence." The Beautiful Gate of the
Temple, which required the strength of twenty men to close it, had
opened of its own accord. War chariots and armies had been seen
contending in the clouds; and for months a great comet, in shape
like a flaming sword, had hung over the city. Still men had hoped,
and the cry from the watchers that the Roman army was in sight
struck dismay among the inhabitants. There were still many without
the walls. Some of these rushed wildly into the gates, and entered
the city; while the wiser fled away to the hills, and made their
way to their homes.
Titus, as he reached the brow of Mount Scopus, reined in his horse
and looked for some time, in silence, at the great and magnificent
city which extended before him; and there can be little doubt that
he would fain have spared it, had it been possible. Even a Roman
could not gaze on the massive beauty of the Temple, unmoved. It was
the most famous religious edifice in the world. From all parts,
pilgrims flocked to it; and kings made offerings to it. It was
believed by the Jews to be the special seat of their deity; and the
Romans, partly from policy, partly from superstition, paid respect
and reverence to the gods of all the nations they subdued, and
annual offerings had been sent by Rome to the Temple.
Titus may well have wished to spare the city the ruin and misery of
a siege, to preserve the Temple intact, and to hand over to King
Agrippa, uninjured, his palace and capital. In all the wide
dominions of Rome, there was not a city which approached Jerusalem
in beauty and grandeur; and Titus must have felt that whatever
honor would accrue to him, from its conquest, would be dearly
purchased by the linking of his name, to all time, as the destroyer
of so magnificent a city. Similar emotions were felt by the group
of officers who rode with Titus, and who reined up their horses as
he did so. With them, the military point of view was doubtless the
most prominent; and as they saw, from their lofty vantage ground,
how the deep valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat girt the city in on
either side, and how stately and strong were the walls and towers,
they may well have felt how mighty was the task which they had
before them.
The scene was calm and peaceful. No sound of warlike trumpets came
from the walls, no signs of an enemy appeared without; and Titus
rode on, past the deserted villas and beautiful grounds that
bordered the road, until he neared the Damascus Gate. He was
accompanied by six hundred horse, for the legions had encamped in
the Valley of Thorns, near the village of Gaboth Saul, some four
miles from Jerusalem.
The walls appeared deserted; but Titus, having experience of the
desperate courage of the Jews, paused at some little distance from
the gate and, turning to the right, entered a lane which ran
parallel to the wall, and made his way towards the Tower of
Psephinus--or the Rubble Tower--at the north-eastern angle of the
outer wall. Suddenly, a gate near the Tower of the Women was thrown
open, and a crowd of armed men dashed out. Rushing forward at the
top of their speed, some threw themselves across the road which
Titus was following; but most of them rushed in behind him, cutting
him off from the main body of his cavalry, and leaving him isolated
with but a few followers.
The main body of Roman cavalry, furiously assailed, and ignorant
that Titus was cut off from them, turned and fled. Titus hesitated
a moment. In front of him was an unknown country. He knew not
whither the lane he was following led. Hedges rose on either side
and, even did he burst through the crowd in front of him, he might
be overwhelmed by missiles, as he rode on. Therefore, calling upon
his men to follow him, he turned round and dashed into the crowd
which barred his retreat.
He wore neither helmet nor breastplate for, as he had only advanced
to reconnoiter, and with no thought of fighting, these had been
left behind. Yet, though javelins flew around him in showers, and
arrows whizzed close to him, not one touched him as he struck,
right and left, among those who barred his passage; while his
warhorse, excited by the shouts and tumult, trampled them under his
feet.
In vain the Jews, astonished at his bravery, and still more so at
his immunity from harm amid the shower of missiles, strove to seize
him. He and his little band cut his way onward, those in front
drawing back with almost superstitious fear from his attack. Two,
only, of his followers were slain. One fell, pierced with numerous
javelins. Another was pulled from his horse and killed but, with
the rest, he emerged unharmed from among his assailants, and
reached his camp in safety.
The soldiers of Simon--for it was his men who guarded this part of
the wall--returned with mingled feelings. They were triumphant that
they had caused the son of Caesar, himself, to fly before them.
They were humiliated that so great a prize should have escaped
them, when he seemed in their hands; and they had a superstitious
feeling that he had been divinely protected from their assaults.
From their lookout, Simon and John had seen the Roman cavalry turn
off from the Damascus road into the lane, and had then lost sight
of them. Then they heard the sudden din of battle, and the shouts
of the combatants, and saw the Roman cavalry riding off in full
speed; but the clamor had continued and, in a short time, another
little party of horsemen were seen to issue from the lane, and
follow their companions.
Simon laughed, grimly.
"We have taught the Romans, early, that the wasps have stings and
that, if they think they are going to take the nest without
trouble, they will be mistaken.
"And now, John, what do you advise? You were, they say, at Jotapata
and Gamala; and you have since shown how well you understand the
Roman tactics. I am a soldier, with an arm to strike but, so far, I
have not had experience in the Roman tactics at sieges. Tell me,
what would you do first, were you commander of this city?"
"There is no doubt what is the first thing to be done," John said.
"It is the duty of all within this city to lay aside their feuds,
and unite in her defense. It is for you, as the strongest, to make
the first advance; and to send at once to John and Eleazar to
propose that, so long as the Romans are before the city, there
shall be a truce between you; and to arrange which part of the
walls shall be held by the soldiers of each. You must also arrange
to unite for common action, both in the defense and in attacking
them without the walls; for it is only by disturbing them at their
work, and by hindering them as they bring forward their engines of
war, that you can hope to hold the city. Strong as your walls may
be, they will crumble to ruins when the battering rams once begin
their work against them."
Simon was silent for a minute, then he said:
"Your advice is good. I will send at once to John and Eleazar, and
ask them to meet me on the bridge across the Tyropoeon, which
separates our forces."
The sun was already setting, but the distance was short. Simon
advanced to the bridge and, hailing the Zealots on the other side,
said that he desired an interview with John, in reference to the
defense of the city; and that he pledged his solemn oath that no
harm should come to him. He sent a similar message to Eleazar. John
shortly appeared for, from the summit of Antonia, he too had
watched the advancing Romans, and felt the necessity for common
action for defense of the town.
Eleazar refused to come. He would have trusted Simon, but to reach
the meeting place he would have had to pass through the outer
courts of the Temple held by John, and he knew that no confidence
could be reposed in any oath that the latter might take. He sent
word, however, that he was willing to abstain from all hostilities,
and to make common cause with the others for the defense of the
city.
John of Gischala advanced alone on to the bridge, a wide and
stately edifice carried on lofty arches across the Tyropoeon
valley, from a point near the Palace of Agrippa to the platform of
the Temple.
"Come with me," Simon said to his companion.
John of Gischala paused in his advance, as he saw that Simon was
not alone.
"Let one of your men come with you, if you like," Simon said, with
a grim laugh at his hesitation; "or two, or six, if you like."
But John of Gischala knew that the eyes of the soldiers on both
sides of the bridge were upon him and, having faith in the oath of
Simon, he again advanced.
John looked with curiosity at the man of whom he had heard so much;
and who, having been a scourge to Upper Galilee with his horde of
robbers, had now brought such misery upon Jerusalem. Without
approaching his rival in size and strength, John of Gischala was a
powerfully-built man. He did not shrink from danger, and had upon
occasion shown great bravery; but he relied upon craft, more than
force, to gain his ends. He possessed great power of oratory, could
rouse men's passions or calm them, at will. He could cajole or
threaten, persuade or deceive, with equal facility; was always
ready to break an oath, if it was inconvenient to keep it. Although
fond of power, he was still more greedy of gain. But in one
respect, he and Simon agreed: both hated the Romans, with an
intense and bitter hatred; both were ready to die in defense of
Jerusalem.
"I think it is time, John," Simon said, "to cease from our strife,
for the present, and to make common cause against the enemy. If we
continue our dissensions, and the Romans in consequence take the
city, our names will be accursed, in all generations, as the men
who gave Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans."
"I am ready to agree to a truce," John of Gischala said. "It is you
who have been attacking me, not I who have been attacking you; but
we need not talk of that, now. Is it to be an understood thing
that, if the Romans retire, we shall both occupy the positions we
hold now, whatever changes may have taken place; and we can then
either come to an understanding, or fight the matter out?"
"Yes, that is what I would propose," Simon replied. "Whatever
changes may take place, when the Romans retire we occupy exactly
the positions we hold now. Will you swear to that, by the Temple?"
"I will," John said.
The two men each took a solemn oath to carry out the terms they
agreed upon and, throughout the siege, to put aside all enmity
towards each other; and to act together, in all things, for the
defense of the city. They then arranged as to the portion of the
wall which each should occupy, these corresponding very nearly to
the lines which they at present held.
Simon held the whole of the third wall which, commencing from
Hippicus, the tower at the north corner of the high town, ran
northward to Psephinus--or the Rubble Tower--then eastward to the
Valley of Jehoshaphat, and again south to the Temple platform. The
second wall, inclosing the inner low town--or Inner Acra, as it was
sometimes called--was divided between the two. Simon also held the
first wall, from Hippicus right round at the foot of Zion across
the lower end of the Tyropoeon Valley, and round the outer low town
as far as the platform of the Temple. John held the Temple
platform, the middle low town, and some parts of the city
immediately adjacent, both on the south slope of Mount Moriah--or
Ophel, as this portion of the hill was called--and part of the
inner low town.
The line, therefore, which Simon had to defend was vastly greater
than that held by John's troops but, in fact, the whole line
bordering the valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat was practically
unassailable--the wall being built along the edge of precipices,
where it could not be attacked either with battering rams or by
escalade--and it was really the north face of the city, only, that
was exposed to serious assault. The outer wall on this side--that
against which the assault would first be made--was entirely
occupied by Simon's troops; but it was not anticipated that any
successful resistance could be made here, for the walls, hastily
raised by the Jews after turning out the Romans, were incapable of
offering a long resistance to such a force as was now to assail it.
It was, then, at the second wall that the first great stand would
be made; and John and Simon's troops divided this between them, so
that the division was fair enough, when it was considered that
Simon's force was more than double that of John.
When this matter had been arranged, John of Gischala said to Simon:
"Who is this young man who accompanies you?"
"He is one who has done much more for the cause than either you or
I, John of Gischala; and indeed, hitherto it may be doubted whether
we have not been the two worst enemies of Jerusalem. This is John
of Gamala, of whom we have heard so often, during the last three
years."
"This, John of Gamala!" John repeated, in a tone of incredulity;
"you are mocking me, Simon."
"I mock no one," Simon said, sternly. "I tell you this is John of
Gamala; and when we think that you and I--men of war--have as yet
struck no single blow against the Romans, since I aided in the
defeat of the legion of Cestius--for you fled from Gischala like a
coward, at night, while I have been fighting for my own land, down
here--we may well feel ashamed, both of us, in the presence of this
youth; who has for three years harassed the Romans, burning their
camps, driving out small garrisons, hindering pillagers from
straying over the country, cutting off their convoys, and forcing
them to keep ever on the watch.
"I tell you, John, I feel ashamed beside him. He has brought here
six hundred men of his band, all picked and determined fellows, for
the defense of the city. I tell you they will be no mean
assistance; and you would say so, also, had you seen how they drew
up today, in solid order, ready to withstand the whole of my force.
He is not of my party, or of yours; he comes simply to fight
against the Romans and, as I understand him, when the Romans
retire, he will leave, also."
"That is certainly my intention," John said, quietly; "but before I
go, I hope that I shall be able to act as mediator between you
both, and to persuade you to come to some arrangement which may
free Jerusalem from a renewal of the evils which, between you, you
have inflicted upon her. If you beat back the Romans, you will have
gained all the honor that men could desire; and your names will go
down to all posterity as the saviors of Jerusalem and the Temple.
If you desire treasure, there is not a Jew but that will be ready
to contribute, to the utmost of his power. If you desire power,
Palestine is wide enough for you to divide it between you--only
beware, lest by striving longer against each other, your names go
down as those who have been the tyrants of the land; names to be
accursed, as long as the Hebrew tongue remains."
The two men were silent. Bold as they were, they felt abashed
before the outspoken rebuke of this stripling. They had heard him
spoken of as one under the special protection of Jehovah. They knew
that he had had marvelous escapes, and that he had fought
single-handed with Titus; and the air of authority with which he
spoke, his entire disregard of their power, his fearlessness in the
presence of men before whom all Jerusalem trembled, confirmed the
stories they had heard, and created an impression almost to awe.
"If we three are alive, when the Romans depart from before the
city," Simon said, in his deep voice, "it shall be as you say; and
I bind myself, beforehand, to agree to whatever you shall decide is
just and right.
"Therefore, John of Gischala, henceforth I shall regard this not as
a truce, but as the beginning of peace between us; and our rivalry
shall be who shall best defend the Holy City against her foes."
"So be it!" John of Gischala replied; "but I would that Eleazar
were here. He is an enemy in my midst; and just as, whenever I was
fighting with you, he fell upon me from behind; so will it be that,
while I am struggling with the Romans, he may be attacking me from
the inner Temple. He has none of the outer walls to defend; and
will, therefore, be free to choose the moment when he can fall upon
me, unawares."
"Make peace with him, at any price," John said, "only put an end to
this strife, and let there be no more bloodshed in the Temple. How
can we hope for God's assistance, in defending the city, when his
altars are being daily desecrated with blood?"
"I will see what I can do," John said. "Somehow or other, this
strife must be brought to an end; and it shall be done without
bloodshed, if possible."
"There is another thing, John," Simon said. "Our comrade here has
been telling me that, from what he saw at Jotapata and Gamala, he
is convinced that by passive resistance, only, we cannot defeat the
Romans, but that we must sally out and attack them in their camps,
and at their work; and therefore let us agree that we will meet
here, from time to time, and arrange that, issuing together through
the gates in our portions of the wall, we may unite in falling upon
the Romans."
"The counsel is good," John of Gischala said. "It will keep up the
courage of men, to fight in the open. Whenever an opportunity
presents itself, my men shall act with yours. You have given Titus
a lesson, today. The next time, we will divide the honor."