Took Jerusalem By Force; And What Death
Antigonus Came To. Also Concerning Cleopatra's Avaricious
Temper.

1. Now the multitude of the Jews that were in the city were divided into
several factions; for the people that crowded about the temple, being
the weaker part of them, gave it out that, as the times were, he was the
happiest and most religious man who should die first. But as to the
more bold and hardy men, they got together in bodies, and fell a robbing
others after various manners, and these particularly plundered the
places that were about the city, and this because there was no food left
either for the horses or the men; yet some of the warlike men, who were
used to fight regularly, were appointed to defend the city during the
siege, and these drove those that raised the banks away from the
wall; and these were always inventing some engine or another to be a
hinderance to the engines of the enemy; nor had they so much success any
way as in the mines under ground.

2. Now as for the robberies which were committed, the king contrived
that ambushes should be so laid, that they might restrain their
excursions; and as for the want of provisions, he provided that they
should be brought to them from great distances. He was also too hard
for the Jews, by the Romans' skill in the art of war; although they were
bold to the utmost degree, now they durst not come to a plain battle
with the Romans, which was certain death; but through their mines under
ground they would appear in the midst of them on the sudden, and before
they could batter down one wall, they built them another in its
stead; and to sum up all at once, they did not show any want either of
painstaking or of contrivances, as having resolved to hold out to the
very last. Indeed, though they had so great an army lying round about
them, they bore a siege of five months, till some of Herod's chosen men
ventured to get upon the wall, and fell into the city, as did Sosius's
centurions after them; and now they first of all seized upon what
was about the temple; and upon the pouring in of the army, there was
slaughter of vast multitudes every where, by reason of the rage the
Romans were in at the length of this siege, and by reason that the Jews
who were about Herod earnestly endeavored that none of their adversaries
might remain; so they were cut to pieces by great multitudes, as they
were crowded together in narrow streets, and in houses, or were runnin