Antonia, whence he might see what was done, and
there waited with impatience to see the event.

6. However, the soldiers that were sent did not find the guards of the
temple asleep, as they hoped to have done; but were obliged to fight
with them immediately hand to hand, as they rushed with violence upon
them with a great shout. Now as soon as the rest within the temple heard
that shout of those that were upon the watch, they ran out in troops
upon them. Then did the Romans receive the onset of those that came
first upon them; but those that followed them fell upon their own
troops, and many of them treated their own soldiers as if they had
been enemies; for the great confused noise that was made on both sides
hindered them from distinguishing one another's voices, as did the
darkness of the night hinder them from the like distinction by the
sight, besides that blindness which arose otherwise also from the
passion and the fear they were in at the same time; for which reason
it was all one to the soldiers who it was they struck at. However, this
ignorance did less harm to the Romans than to the Jews, because they
were joined together under their shields, and made their sallies
more regularly than the others did, and each of them remembered their
watch-word; while the Jews were perpetually dispersed abroad, and made
their attacks and retreats at random, and so did frequently seem to one
another to be enemies; for every one of them received those of their own
men that came back in the dark as Romans, and made an assault upon them;
so that more of them were wounded by their own men than by the enemy,
till, upon the coming on of the day, the nature of the right was
discerned by the eye afterward. Then did they stand in battle-array in
distinct bodies, and cast their darts regularly, and regularly defended
themselves; nor did either side yield or grow weary. The Romans
contended with each other who should fight the most strenuously, both
single men and entire regiments, as being under the eye of Titus; and
every one concluded that this day would begin his promotion if he
fought bravely. What were the great encouragements of the Jews to act
vigorously were, their fear for themselves and for the temple, and the
presence of their tyrant, who exhorted some, and beat and threatened
others, to act courageously. Now, it so happened, that this fight was
for the most part a stationary one, wherein the soldiers went on and
came back in