had supported the ground over the mine with beams laid across one
another, whereby the Roman works stood upon an uncertain foundation.
Then did he order such materials to be brought in as were daubed over
with pitch and bitumen, and set them on fire; and as the cross beams
that supported the banks were burning, the ditch yielded on the
sudden, and the banks were shaken down, and fell into the ditch with a
prodigious noise. Now at the first there arose a very thick smoke and
dust, as the fire was choked with the fall of the bank; but as the
suffocated materials were now gradually consumed, a plain flame brake
out; on which sudden appearance of the flame a consternation fell upon
the Romans, and the shrewdness of the contrivance discouraged them; and
indeed this accident coming upon them at a time when they thought they
had already gained their point, cooled their hopes for the time to
come. They also thought it would be to no purpose to take the pains
to extinguish the fire, since if it were extinguished, the banks were
swallowed up already [and become useless to them].

5. Two days after this, Simon and his party made an attempt to destroy
the other banks; for the Romans had brought their engines to bear there,
and began already to make the wall shake. And here one Tephtheus, of
Garsis, a city of Galilee, and Megassarus, one who was derived from some
of queen Mariamne's servants, and with them one from Adiabene, he was
the son of Nabateus, and called by the name of Chagiras, from the ill
fortune he had, the word signifying "a lame man," snatched some torches,
and ran suddenly upon the engines. Nor were there during this war any
men that ever sallied out of the city who were their superiors, either
in their boldness, or in the terror they struck into their enemies. For
they ran out upon the Romans, not as if they were enemies, but friends,
without fear or delay; nor did they leave their enemies till they had
rushed violently through the midst of them, and set their machines on
fire. And though they had darts thrown at them on every side, and were
on every side assaulted with their enemies' swords, yet did they not
withdraw themselves out of the dangers they were in, till the fire had
caught hold of the instruments; but when the flame went up, the Romans
came running from their camp to save their engines. Then did the
Jews hinder their succors from the wall, and fought with those that
endeavored to quench the fire, without