by one or other
of the factions. Even the rites of burial, so dear to the Jews,
were neglected; and the bodies of the slain lay, unburied, where
they fell, And yet, the forces of the three factions which thus
desolated the city were comparatively small and, had the wretched
population who were tyrannized over by them possessed any
unanimity, or been led by any man of courage, they could easily
have overthrown them all; for Simon's force amounted to about
fifteen thousand, that of John to six thousand, while Eleazar could
count but two thousand four hundred men, and yet in Jerusalem were
gathered a population amounting, with the original inhabitants and
the fugitives from the country around, to over a million people.

At length, the long interval of suspense was drawing to an end. At
the death of Vitellius, Vespasian had been called upon, by the
general voice of the people, to ascend the throne; and had, some
time before, left for Rome to assume the imperial purple. He was
joyfully acknowledged by the whole Roman empire; who had groaned
under a succession of brutal tyrants, and now hailed the accession
of one who was, at once, a great general and an upright and able
man; and who would rule the empire with a firm, just, and moderate
hand. When winter was over, Vespasian sent Titus--who had, in the
meantime, gone to Egypt--back to Palestine, and ordered him to
complete the conquest of Judea.

The Twelfth Legion--that which had been defeated, when under the
command of Cestius--was ordered to reinforce the three already in
Judea; and the gaps made in the ranks during the war, and by the
withdrawal of the men who had accompanied Vespasian to Rome, were
filled by an addition of two thousand picked troops from
Alexandria, and three thousand from the legions stationed on the
Euphrates. The Syrian kings sent large contingents; and Tiberius
Alexander--an intimate friend of Titus, a man of wisdom and
integrity--was appointed to high command. His knowledge of the
country, which he had once governed, added to his value in the
Roman councils.

As soon as the news spread that the Roman army was collecting for
its march against Jerusalem, the signal fires were kindled on the
hills above Gamala; and John, after a tender farewell to his
parents and Mary, set out with Jonas. In twenty-four hours, the
band had again assembled. When they were gathered, John addressed
them. He pointed out to them that the campaign that they were now
abo