body, and put the
Romans to flight again, and shut them up in the tower of Antonia. Now
those that most signalized themselves, and fought most zealously in
this battle of the Jewish side, were one Alexas and Gyphtheus, of John's
party, and of Simon's party were Malachias, and Judas the son of Merto,
and James the son of Sosas, the commander of the Idumeans; and of the
zealots, two brethren, Simon and Judas, the sons of Jairus.

CHAPTER 2.

How Titus Gave Orders To Demolish The Tower Of Antonia And
Then Persuaded Josephus To Exhort The Jews Again [To A
Surrender].

1. And now Titus gave orders to his soldiers that were with him to dig
up the foundations of the tower of Antonia, and make him a ready passage
for his army to come up; while he himself had Josephus brought to
him, [for he had been informed that on that very day, which was the
seventeenth day [5]of Panemus, [Tamuz,] the sacrifice called "the Daily
Sacrifice" had failed, and had not been offered to God, for want of men
to offer it, and that the people were grievously troubled at it,] and
commanded him to say the same things to John that he had said before,
that if he had any malicious inclination for fighting, he might come out
with as many of his men as he pleased, in order to fight, without the
danger of destroying either his city or temple; but that he desired he
would not defile the temple, nor thereby offend against God. That he
might, if he pleased, offer the sacrifices which were now discontinued
by any of the Jews whom he should pitch upon. Upon this Josephus stood
in such a place where he might be heard, not by John only, but by many
more, and then declared to them what Caesar had given him in charge, and
this in the Hebrew language. [6] So he earnestly prayed them to spare
their own city, and to prevent that fire which was just ready to seize
upon the temple, and to offer their usual sacrifices to God therein. At
these words of his a great sadness and silence were observed among the
people. But the tyrant himself cast many reproaches upon Josephus, with
imprecations besides; and at last added this withal, that he did never
fear the taking of the city, because it was God's own city. In answer to
which Josephus said thus with a loud voice: "To be sure thou hast kept
this city wonderfully pure for God's sake; the temple also continues
entirely unpolluted! Nor hast thou been guilty of ally impiety against
him for whose assistance tho