ce in the world. From all parts,
pilgrims flocked to it; and kings made offerings to it. It was
believed by the Jews to be the special seat of their deity; and the
Romans, partly from policy, partly from superstition, paid respect
and reverence to the gods of all the nations they subdued, and
annual offerings had been sent by Rome to the Temple.

Titus may well have wished to spare the city the ruin and misery of
a siege, to preserve the Temple intact, and to hand over to King
Agrippa, uninjured, his palace and capital. In all the wide
dominions of Rome, there was not a city which approached Jerusalem
in beauty and grandeur; and Titus must have felt that whatever
honor would accrue to him, from its conquest, would be dearly
purchased by the linking of his name, to all time, as the destroyer
of so magnificent a city. Similar emotions were felt by the group
of officers who rode with Titus, and who reined up their horses as
he did so. With them, the military point of view was doubtless the
most prominent; and as they saw, from their lofty vantage ground,
how the deep valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat girt the city in on
either side, and how stately and strong were the walls and towers,
they may well have felt how mighty was the task which they had
before them.

The scene was calm and peaceful. No sound of warlike trumpets came
from the walls, no signs of an enemy appeared without; and Titus
rode on, past the deserted villas and beautiful grounds that
bordered the road, until he neared the Damascus Gate. He was
accompanied by six hundred horse, for the legions had encamped in
the Valley of Thorns, near the village of Gaboth Saul, some four
miles from Jerusalem.

The walls appeared deserted; but Titus, having experience of the
desperate courage of the Jews, paused at some little distance from
the gate and, turning to the right, entered a lane which ran
parallel to the wall, and made his way towards the Tower of
Psephinus--or the Rubble Tower--at the north-eastern angle of the
outer wall. Suddenly, a gate near the Tower of the Women was thrown
open, and a crowd of armed men dashed out. Rushing forward at the
top of their speed, some threw themselves across the road which
Titus was following; but most of them rushed in behind him, cutting
him off from the main body of his cavalry, and leaving him isolated
with but a few followers.

The main body of Roman cavalry, furiously assailed, and ignorant
that Titus was cut off f