rew his forces without the least apparent reason. But God's merciful
providence was directing events for the good of His own people. The
promised sign had been given to the waiting Christians, and now an
opportunity was afforded for all who would, to obey the Saviour's warning.
Events were so overruled that neither Jews nor Romans should hinder the
flight of the Christians. Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying
from Jerusalem, pursued after his retiring army; and while both forces
were thus fully engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the
city. At this time the country also had been cleared of enemies who might
have endeavored to intercept them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were
assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the
Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape unmolested.
Without delay they fled to a place of safety,--the city of Pella, in the
land of Perea, beyond Jordan.

The Jewish forces, pursuing after Cestius and his army, fell upon their
rear with such fierceness as to threaten them with total destruction. It
was with great difficulty that the Romans succeeded in making their
retreat. The Jews escaped almost without loss, and with their spoils
returned in triumph to Jerusalem. Yet this apparent success brought them
only evil. It inspired them with that spirit of stubborn resistance to the
Romans which speedily brought unutterable woe upon the doomed city.

Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when the siege was
resumed by Titus. The city was invested at the time of the Passover, when
millions of Jews were assembled within its walls. Their stores of
provision, which if carefully preserved would have supplied the
inhabitants for years, had previously been destroyed through the jealousy
and revenge of the contending factions, and now all the horrors of
starvation were experienced. A measure of wheat was sold for a talent. So
fierce were the pangs of hunger that men would gnaw the leather of their
belts and sandals and the covering of their shields. Great numbers of the
people would steal out at night to gather wild plants growing outside the
city walls, though many were seized and put to death with cruel torture,
and often those who returned in safety were robbed of what they had
gleaned at so great peril. The most inhuman tortures were inflicted by
those in power, to force from the want-stricken people the last scanty
sup