se 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 burned, had not many of those select soldiers that came from
Alexandria opposed themselves to prevent it, and had they not behaved
themselves with greater courage than they themselves supposed they could
have done, for they outdid those in this fight that had greater
reputation than themselves. This was the state of things till Caesar took
the stoutest of his horsemen and attacked the enemy, while he himself
slew twelve of those that were in the forefront of the Jews, which death
of these men, when the rest of the multitude saw, they gave way, and he
pursued them, and drove them all into the city, and saved the works from
the fire. Now it happened at this fight that a certain Jew was taken
alive who, by Titus' order, was crucified before the wall, to see
whether the rest of them would be affrighted and abate of their
obstinacy. But after the Jews were retired, John,[38] who was commander
of the Idumeans, and was talking to a certain soldier of his
acquaintance before the wall, was wounded by a dart shot at him by an
Arabian, and died immediately, leaving the greatest lamentation to the
Jews, and sorrow to the seditious, for he was a man of great eminence,
both for his actions and his conduct also.

Now, on the next night, a surprising disturbance fell upon the Romans;
for whereas Titus had given orders for the erection of three towers of
fifty cubits high, that, by setting men upon them at every bank, he
might from thence drive those away who were upon the wall, it so
happened that one of these towers fell down about midnight, and as its
fall made a very great noise, fear fell upon the army, and they,
supposing that the enemy was coming to attack them, ran all to their
arms. Wher