Original - The Preterist Archive

46 NAOMI.
pools around their base. Until the morning watch the walls
stood firm ;
but then they yielded before the battering-ram, and
a breach was formed. Vespasian gave his wearied men a short
respite before he led them, on to storm the breach then
; posting
a strong body of cavalry entirely covered with armour at the
foot of the wall, he commanded the infantry to apply the
scaling-ladders. Josephus was not idle within ;
he stationed
the least efficient of the garrison on those parts of the walls
that were not immediately threatened ;
but all the best and
bravest he disposed in front of the breach; and in the most
perilous situation of all he stationed himself and Javan and
four ajkrs, with directions to stop their ears against the noise
of the legionaries, and receive their darts on their bended knees,
with their shields locked together over their heads, until their
quivers were exhausted, and then to sally forth and fall upon
them with all their collected rage, and fight for their lives and
their liberties, and those of their wives and children and aged
parents. The women seeing the dreadful preparations on either
side, gave themselves up for lost, and one wild dismal cry
of anguish and despair burst from the crowded streets ;
but
Josephus, dreading the effect of their grief and consternation
on the soldiers, ordered them all to be locked up in the houses,
and with severe threats commanded them to be still.
Now the trumpets sounded for the charge, and the Romans
gave a mighty shout, at the same moment sending upon the
besieged such a cloud of arrows and darts that the air was
darkened. Josephus's brave companions followed his directions,
and stopped their ears to the sound, and defended their bodies
from the darts. But as soon as the engines had played, and
ere the engineers could renew the charge, they sallied forth upon
and were followed by many
them, resolving to slay or be slain,
other parties animated with the same desperate resolution.
But the Romans at length drove them back, and succeeded in
getting a footing on the wall. Josephus had now recourse to
stratagem in this extremity, and ordered a quantity of oil to be
heated, which, being quickly prepared, was poured in a boiling
state on their assailants, and penetrating through the joints of
their armour, burnt through their
flesh, and maddened them
with agony, so that, being unable to tear off their armour, they
turned back and fled away, carrying confusion among their
comrades ;
and many of them fell headlong from the narrow
bridges by which they had passed to the walls from their
embankment. The Jews also poured boiled fenugreek, a kind
of herb, on the planks and bridges, by which their enemies