.

Now those that were at work covered themselves with hurdles spread over
their banks, and their engines were opposed to them when they made their
excursions. The engines, that all the legions had ready prepared for
them, were admirably contrived; but still more extraordinary ones
belonged to the Tenth legion: those that threw darts and those that
threw stones were more forcible and larger than the rest, by which they
not only repelled the excursions of the Jews, but drove those away that
were upon the walls also. Now the stones that were cast were of the
weight of a talent, and were carried two furlongs and farther. The blow
they gave was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first
in the way, but by those that were beyond them for a great space.

As for the Jews, they at first watched the coming of the stone, for it
was of a white color, and could therefore not only be perceived by the
great noise it made, but could be seen also before it came, by its
brightness. Accordingly, the watchmen that sat upon the towers gave them
notice when the engine was let go, and the stone came from it, and cried
out aloud, in their own country language, "The son cometh!" so those
that were in its way stood off, and threw themselves down upon the
ground; by which means, and by their thus guarding themselves, the stone
fell down and did them no harm. But the Romans contrived how to prevent
that, by blacking the stone, who then could aim at them with success
when the stone was not discerned beforehand as it had been till then;
and so they destroyed many of them at one blow. Yet did not the Jews,
under all this distress, permit the Romans to raise their banks in
quiet, but they shrewdly and boldly exerted themselves, and repelled
them both by night and by day.

And now, upon the finishing the Roman works, the workmen measured the
distance there was from the wall, and this by lead and a line which they
threw to it from their banks, for they could not measure it any other
wise, because the Jews would shoot at them, if they came to measure it
themselves. And when they found that the engines could reach the wall
they brought them thither. Then did Titus set his engines, at proper
distances, so much nearer to the wall that the Jews might not be able to
repel them, and gave orders they should go to work; and when, thereupon,
a prodigious noise echoed round about from three places, and that on a
sudden there was a great noise ma