arties, they
fell with fury upon the working parties who, having stripped off
their heavy armor, were unable to resist their sudden onslaughts.
Driving out and slaying all before them, the Jews so often applied
fire to the wattles and timbers of the bank that Vespasian was
obliged to make his work continuous, along the whole extent of the
wall, to keep out the assailants.

But, in spite of all the efforts of the Jews, the embankment rose
steadily, until it almost equaled the height of the wall; and the
struggle now went on between the combatants on even terms, they
being separated only by the short interval between the wall and
bank. Josephus found that in such a conflict the Romans--with their
crowd of archers and slingers, and their formidable machines--had
all the advantage; and that it was absolutely necessary to raise
the walls still higher.

He called together a number of the principal men, and pointed out
the necessity for this. They agreed with him, but urged that it was
impossible for men to work, exposed to such a storm of missiles.
Josephus replied that he had thought of that. A number of strong
posts were prepared and, at night, these were fixed securely,
standing on the wall. Along the top of these, a strong rope was
stretched; and on this were hung, touching each other, the hides of
newly-killed oxen. These formed a complete screen, hiding the
workers from the sight of those on the embankment.

Illustration: Heightening the Walls of Jotapata under Shelter of Ox
Hides.

The hides, when struck with the stones from the ballistae, gave way
and deadened the force of the missiles; while the arrows and
javelins glanced off from the slippery surface. Behind this
shelter, the garrison worked night and day, raising the posts and
screens as their work proceeded, until they had heightened the wall
no less than thirty-five feet; with a number of towers on its
summit, and a strong battlement facing the Romans.

The besiegers were much discouraged at their want of success, and
enraged at finding the efforts of so large an army completely
baffled by a small town, which they had expected to carry at the
first assault; while the Jews proportionately rejoiced. Becoming
more and more confident, they continually sallied out in small
parties, through the gateway or by ladders from the walls, attacked
the Romans upon their embankment, or set fire to it. And it was the
desperation with which these men fought, even more th