Thus
Jerusalem was overlooked, throughout its length and breadth, by the
Roman camps on the hills to the north and east sides.

John had, at the earnest request of Simon, taken up his residence
with him in the Palace of Herod and, from the top of the Tower of
Phasaelus, watched the Roman legions at work.

"It seems to me," he said to Simon, "that now is the time for us to
make an assault. The Romans raise veritable fortifications round
their camp and, when once these are completed, we can scarcely hope
to storm them; whereas, if we fall suddenly upon them, now, we can
fight on even terms. The legion on the Mount of Olives is widely
separated from the rest; and we might overcome it, before the
others could come to its assistance."

"I agree with you," Simon said; "let us strike a blow, at once."

Simon at once sent off to John, to propose that the latter should
issue out from the Golden Gate in the middle of the Temple
platform; while he, himself, would lead out his troops by the gate
to the north of that platform. In accordance with the suggestion of
John, he requested John of Gischala to place a watchman on a
conspicuous position on the wall, with orders to wave his mantle as
a signal to both parties to charge as, from his position, he would
be better able than they to see what the Romans were doing; and
both parties could see him, while they might be invisible to each
other.

John of Gischala sent back, at once, to say that he approved of the
plan, and would join in it. Simon called his troops together
and--leaving the outer wall strongly manned, lest the Twelfth and
Fifteenth Legions might take advantage of the absence of so large a
portion of the garrison to make a sudden attack upon it--marched
towards the northeastern gate; being joined on the way by John,
with his band. They waited until a messenger came from John of
Gischala, saying that he was ready; then the gates were thrown
open, and the troops poured out.

John had given strict orders to his men to keep together in their
companies, each under his commander; and not to try to maintain
regular order as one band, for this would be next to impossible,
fighting on such hilly and broken ground. Besides, they would be
sure to get mixed up with the masses of Simon's troops.

At the same moment that Simon's force poured through the
northeastern gate, that of John of Gischala issued from the Temple
platform and, in rivalry with each other, both dashed down