them away; and
indeed were no way wanting as to the highest degree of force and
alacrity; for they esteemed themselves entirely ruined if once the
Romans got into the temple, as did the Romans look upon the same thing
as the beginning of their entire conquest. So a terrible battle was
fought at the entrance of the temple, while the Romans were forcing
their way, in order to get possession of that temple, and the Jews were
driving them back to the tower of Antonia; in which battle the darts
were on both sides useless, as well as the spears, and both sides drew
their swords, and fought it out hand to hand. Now during this struggle
the positions of the men were undistinguished on both sides, and
they fought at random, the men being intermixed one with another, and
confounded, by reason of the narrowness of the place; while the noise
that was made fell on the ear after an indistinct manner, because it
was so very loud. Great slaughter was now made on both sides, and the
combatants trod upon the bodies and the armor of those that were dead,
and dashed them to pieces. Accordingly, to which side soever the battle
inclined, those that had the advantage exhorted one another to go on, as
did those that were beaten make great lamentation. But still there was
no room for flight, nor for pursuit, but disorderly revolutions and
retreats, while the armies were intermixed one with another; but those
that were in the first ranks were under the necessity of killing or
being killed, without any way for escaping; for those on both sides that
came behind forced those before them to go on, without leaving any space
between the armies. At length the Jews' violent zeal was too hard for
the Romans' skill, and the battle already inclined entirely that way;
for the fight had lasted from the ninth hour of the night till the
seventh hour of the day, While the Jews came on in crowds, and had the
danger the temple was in for their motive; the Romans having no more
here than a part of their army; for those legions, on which the soldiers
on that side depended, were not come up to them. So it was at present
thought sufficient by the Romans to take possession of the tower of
Antonia.

8. But there was one Julian, a centurion, that came from Eithynia, a man
he was of great reputation, whom I had formerly seen in that war, and
one of the highest fame, both for his skill in war, his strength of
body, and the courage of his soul. This man, seeing the Romans