The Ways of Providence - Christadelphian Studies

THE WAYS OF PROVIDENCE. 305
whole army to Jotapata, a place of great strength in the
mountains. The assault on the first day was a failure,
also during the four succeeding days, during which the
Jews sallied forth in large numbers, and with great
desperation beat off the attacks of the Romans. On
the sixth day, the Romans commenced a regular siege ;
they raised a bank from which to fight the defenders on
the walls. The work was much hindered by constant
Jewish sallies in small bands, who scattered fire among
the materials used in the construction of the bank,
besides killing many of those engaged in the work.
While the bank was progressing, Josephus, concealing
his operations by a tall screen on the wall, raised the
wall of the city thirty feet higher, so that the bank when
finished was useless. The Romans discouraged, resolved
to suspend the attack and starve the city into surrender.
The activity of the Jews, in incessant sorties, however,
compelled the Romans to resume the offensive. A
battering ram was got into play against a portion of the
wall. Josephus met the shock by lowering sacks filled
with soft materials between the wall and the engine. The
Romans succeeded in cutting down the sacks. The
Jews then made a sally in great force to destroy the
engine. They sallied from three directions, and piling
burning materials round the battering engine, they set
fire to it. The result was that the engine and the
bank, which had cost the Romans many days' patient
labour, were consumed in an hour. The Romans then
made a desperate attempt to take the city by assault.
It was on the point of succeeding when Josephus ordered
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