any regard to the danger their
bodies were in. So the Romans pulled the engines out of the fire, while
the hurdles that covered them were on fire; but the Jews caught hold
of the battering rams through the flame itself, and held them fast,
although the iron upon them was become red hot; and now the fire spread
itself from the engines to the banks, and prevented those that came to
defend them; and all this while the Romans were encompassed round about
with the flame; and, despairing of saying their works from it, they
retired to their camp. Then did the Jews become still more and more
in number by the coming of those that were within the city to their
assistance; and as they were very bold upon the good success they
had had, their violent assaults were almost irresistible; nay, they
proceeded as far as the fortifications of the enemies' camp, and fought
with their guards. Now there stood a body of soldiers in array before
that camp, which succeeded one another by turns in their armor; and as
to those, the law of the Romans was terrible, that he who left his post
there, let the occasion be whatsoever it might be, he was to die for
it; so that body of soldiers, preferring rather to die in fighting
courageously, than as a punishment for their cowardice, stood firm; and
at the necessity these men were in of standing to it, many of the others
that had run away, out of shame, turned back again; and when they had
set the engines against the wall, they put the multitude from coming
more of them out of the city, [which they could the more easily do]
because they had made no provision for preserving or guarding their
bodies at this time; for the Jews fought now hand to hand with all that
came in their way, and, without any caution, fell against the points of
their enemies' spears, and attacked them bodies against bodies; for they
were now too hard for the Romans, not so much by their other warlike
actions, as by these courageous assaults they made upon them; and the
Romans gave way more to their boldness than they did to the sense of the
harm they had received from them.

6. And now Titus was come from the tower of Antonia, whither he was
gone to look out for a place for raising other banks, and reproached the
soldiers greatly for permitting their own walls to be in danger, when
they had taken the wails of their enemies, and sustained the fortune
of men besieged, while the Jews were allowed to sally out against them,
though they