the wars of the jews-第132章

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rom　being　able　to　obstruct　them。　So　the　trees　were　now　　　cut　down　immediately；　and　the　suburbs　left　naked。　But　now　while　the　timber　was　carrying　to　raise　the　banks；　and　the　whole　army　was　earnestly　engaged　in　their　works；　the　Jews　were　not；　however；　quiet；　and　it　happened　that　the　people　of　Jerusalem；　who　had　been　hitherto　plundered　and　　　murdered；　were　now　of　good　courage；　and　supposed　they　　　should　have　a　breathing　time；　while　the　others　were　very　busy　in　opposing　their　enemies　without　the　city；　and　that　they　should　now　be　avenged　on　those　that　had　been　the　　　authors　of　their　miseries；　in　case　the　Romans　did　but　get　the　victory。　　　　　　3。　However；　John　staid　behind；　out　of　his　fear　of　Simon；　even　while　his　own　men　were　earnest　in　making　a　sally　　　upon　their　enemies　without。　Yet　did　not　Simon　lie　still；　for　he　lay　near　the　place　of　the　siege；　he　brought　his　engines　of　war；　and　disposed　of　them　at　due　distances　upon　the　　　wall；　both　those　which　they　took　from　Cestius　formerly；　and　those　which　they　got　when　they　seized　the　garrison　that　lay　in　the　tower　Antonia。　But　though　they　had　these　engines　in　their　possession；　they　had　so　little　skill　in　using　them；　that　they　were　in　great　measure　useless　to　them；　but　a　few　　　there　were　who　had　been　taught　by　deserters　how　to　use　　　them；　which　they　did　use；　though　after　an　awkward　manner。　So　they　cast　stones　and　arrows　at　those　that　were　making　the　banks；　they　also　ran　out　upon　them　by　companies；　and　fought　with　them。　Now　those　that　were　at　work　covered　　　themselves　with　hurdles　spread　over　their　banks；　and　their　engines　were　opposed　to　them　when　they　made　their　　　excursions。　The　engines；　that　all　the　legions　had　ready　　　prepared　for　them；　were　admirably　contrived；　but　still　more　extraordinary　ones　belonged　to　the　tenth　legion：　those　that　threw　darts　and　those　that　threw　stones　were　more　forcible　and　larger　than　the　rest；　by　which　they　not　only　repelled　the　excursions　of　the　Jews；　but　drove　those　away　that　were　　　upon　the　walls　also。　Now　the　stones　that　were　cast　were　of　the　weight　of　a　talent；　and　were　carried　two　furlongs　and　further。　The　blow　they　gave　was　no　way　to　be　sustained；　　　not　only　by　those　that　stood　first　in　the　way；　but　by　those　that　were　beyond　them　for　a　great　space。　As　for　the　Jews；　they　at　first　watched　the　coming　of　the　stone；　for　it　was　of　a　white　color；　and　could　therefore　not　only　be　perceived　by　the　great　noise　it　made；　but　could　be　seen　also　before　it　came　by　its　brightness；　accordingly　the　watchmen　that　sat　upon　the　towers　gave　them　notice　when　the　engine　was　let　go；　and　the　stone　came　from　it；　and　cried　out　aloud；　in　their　own　country　language；　The　Stone　Cometh　（15）　so　those　　　that　were　in　its　way　stood　off；　and　threw　themselves　down　upon　the　ground；　by　which　means；　and　by　their　thus　　　guarding　themselves；　the　stone　fell　down　and　did　them　no　harm。　But　the　Romans　contrived　how　to　prevent　that　by　　　blacking　the　stone；　who　then　could　aim　at　them　with　　　success；　when　the　stone　was　not　discerned　beforehand；　as　it　had　been　till　then；　and　so　they　destroyed　many　of　them　at　one　blow。　Yet　did　not　the　Jews；　under　all　this　distress；　permit　the　Romans　to　raise　their　banks　in　quiet；　but　they　shrewdly　and　boldly　exerted　themselves；　and　repelled　them　both　by　night　and　by　day。　　　　　　4。　And　now；　upon　the　finishing　the　Roman　works；　the　　　workmen　measured　the　distance　there　was　from　the　wall；　　　and　this　by　lead　and　a　line；　which　they　threw　to　it　from　their　banks；　for　they　could　not　measure　it　any　otherwise；　　　because　the　Jews　would　shoot　at　them；　if　they　came　to　　　measure　it　themselves；　and　when　they　found　that　the　　　engines　could　reach　the　wall；　they　brought　them　thither。　Then　did　Titus　set　his　engines　at　proper　distances；　so　much　nearer　to　the　wall；　that　the　Jews　might　not　be　able　to　repel　them；　and　gave　orders　they　should　go　to　work；　and　when　　　thereupon　a　prodigious　noise　echoed　round　about　from　　　three　places；　and　that　on　the　sudden　there　was　a　great　　　noise　made　by　the　citizens　that　were　within　the　city；　and　no　less　a　terror　fell　upon　the　seditious　themselves；　whereupon　both　sorts；　seeing　the　common　danger　they　were　in；　　　contrived　to　make　a　like　defense。　So　those　of　different　　　factions　cried　out　one　to　another；　that　they　acted　entirely　as　in　concert　with　their　enemies；　whereas　they　ought　however；　notwithstanding　God　did　not　grant　them　a　lasting　concord；　in　their　present　circumstances；　to　lay　aside　their　enmities　one　against　another；　and　to　unite　together　against　the　　　Romans。　Accordingly；　Simon　gave　those　that　came　from　　　the　temple　leave；　by　proclamation；　to　go　upon　the　wall；　　　John　also　himself；　though　he　could　not　believe　Simon　was　in　earnest；　gave　them　the　same　leave。　So　on　both　sides　　　they　laid　aside　their　hatred　and　their　peculiar　quarrels；　and　formed　themselves　into　one　body；　they　then　ran　round　the　walls；　and　having　a　vast　number　of　torches　with　them；　they　threw　them　at　the　machines；　and　shot　darts　perpetually　　　upon　those　that　impelled　those　engines　which　battered　the　wall；　nay；　the　bolder　sort　leaped　out　by　troops　upon　the　hurdles　that　covered　the　machines；　and　pulled　them　to　　　pieces；　and　fell　upon　those　that　belonged　to　them；　and　beat　them；　not　so　much　by　any　skill　they　had；　as　principally　by　the　boldness　of　their　attacks。　However；　Titus　himself　still　sent　assistance　to　those　that　were　the　hardest　set；　and　　　placed　both　horsemen　and　archers　on　the　several　sides　of　the　engines；　and　thereby　beat　off　those　that　brought　the　fire　to　them；　he　also　thereby　repelled　those　that　shot　stones　or　darts　from　the　towers；　and　then　set　the　engines　to　work　in　good　earnest；　yet　did　not　the　wall　yield　to　these　blows；　excepting　where　the　battering　ram　of　the　fifteenth　legion　moved　the　corner　of　a　tower；　while　the　wall　itself　continued　unhurt；　for　the　wall　was　not　presently　in　the　same　danger　with　the　tower；　which　was　extant　far　above　it；　nor　could　the　fall　of　that　part　of　the　tower　easily　break　down　any　part　of　the　wall　itself　together　with　it。　　　　　　5。　And　now　the　Jews　intermitted　their　sallies　for　a　while；　but　when　they　observed　the　Romans　dispersed　all　abroad　at　　　their　works；　and　in　their　several　camps；　（for　they　thought　the　Jews　had　retired　out　of　weariness　and　fear；）　they　all　at　once　made　a　sally　at　the　tower　Hippicus；　through　an　　　obscure　gate；　and　at　the　same　time　brought　fire　to　burn　the　works；　and　went　boldly　up　to　the　Romans；　and　to　their　very　fortifications　themselves；　where；　at　the　cry　they　made；　　　those　that　were　near　them　came　presently　to　their　　　assistance；　and　those　farther　off　came　running　after　them；　and　here　the　boldness　of　the　Jews　was　too　hard　for　the　　　good　order　of　the　Romans；　and　as　they　beat　those　whom　　　they　first　fell　upon；　so　they　pressed　upon　those　that　were　now　gotten　together。　So　this　fight　about　the　machines　was　very　hot；　while　the　one　side　tried　hard　to　set　them　on　fire；　and　the　other　side　to　prevent　it；　on　both　sides　there　was　a　confused　cry　made；　and　many　of　those　in　the　forefront　of　the　battle　were　slain。　However；　the　Jews　were　now　too　hard　for　the　Romans；　by　the　furious　assaults　they　made　like　　　madmen；　and　the　fire　caught　hold　of　the　works；　and　both　all　those　works；　and　the　engines　themselves；　had　been　in　　　danger　of　being　burnt；　had　not　many　of　thes