d, and secured the walls by a more
numerous garrison. Yet could not that garrison resist those that were
deserting, for although a great number of them were slain, yet were the
deserters many more in number. These were all received by the Romans,
because Titus himself grew negligent as to his former orders for killing
them, and because the very soldiers grew weary of killing them, and
because they hoped to get some money by sparing them, for they left only
the populace, and sold the rest of the multitude, with their wives and
children, and every one of them at a very low price, and that because
such as were sold were very many, and the buyers were few; and although
Titus had made proclamation beforehand that no deserter should come
alone by himself, that so they might bring out their families with them,
yet did he receive such as these also.

However, he set over them such as were to distinguish some from others,
in order to see if any of them deserved to be punished. And indeed the
number of those that were sold was immense; but of the populace above
forty thousand were saved, whom Caesar let go whither every one of them
pleased.

But now at this time it was that one of the priests, the son of
Thebuthus, whose name was Jesus, upon his having security given him, by
the oath of Caesar, that he should be preserved upon condition that he
should deliver to him certain of the precious things that had been
deposited in the Temple, came out of it and delivered him from the wall
of the holy house two candlesticks, like to those that lay in the holy
house, with tables, and cisterns, and vials, all made of solid gold and
very heavy. He also delivered to him the veils and the garments, with
the precious stones, and a great number of other precious vessels that
belonged to their sacred worship.

The treasurer of the Temple also, whose name was Phineas, was seized on,
and showed Titus the coats and girdles of the priests, with a great
quantity of purple and scarlet, which were there deposited for the uses
of the veil, as also a great deal of cinnamon and cassia, with a large
quantity of other sweet spices, which used to be mixed together and
offered as incense to God every day. A great many other treasures were
also delivered to him, with sacred ornaments of the Temple not a few,
which things thus delivered to Titus obtained of him for this man the
same pardon that he had allowed to such as deserted of their own accord.

And now