he multitude, and begged of them that they would preserve those holy
ornaments to them, and not provoke the Romans to carry off those sacred
treasures. You might also see then the high priests themselves, with
dust sprinkled in great plenty upon their heads, with bosoms deprived of
any covering but what was rent; these besought every one of the eminent
men by name, and the multitude in common, that they would not for a
small offense betray their country to those that were desirous to have
it laid waste; saying, "What benefit will it bring to the soldiers to
have a salutation from the Jews? or what amendment of your affairs will
it bring you, if you do not now go out to meet them? and that if they
saluted them civilly, all handle would be cut off from Florus to begin
a war; that they should thereby gain their country, and freedom from all
further sufferings; and that, besides, it would be a sign of great
want of command of themselves, if they should yield to a few seditious
persons, while it was fitter for them who were so great a people to
force the others to act soberly."

5. By these persuasions, which they used to the multitude and to the
seditious, they restrained some by threatenings, and others by the
reverence that was paid them. After this they led them out, and they met
the soldiers quietly, and after a composed manner, and when they were
come up with them, they saluted them; but when they made no answer,
the seditious exclaimed against Florus, which was the signal given for
falling upon them. The soldiers therefore encompassed them presently,
and struck them with their clubs; and as they fled away, the horsemen
trampled them down, so that a great many fell down dead by the strokes
of the Romans, and more by their own violence in crushing one another.
Now there was a terrible crowding about the gates, and while every
body was making haste to get before another, the flight of them all was
retarded, and a terrible destruction there was among those that fell
down, for they were suffocated, an broken to pieces by the multitude of
those that were uppermost; nor could any of them be distinguished by
his relations in order to the care of his funeral; the soldiers also who
beat them, fell upon those whom they overtook, without showing them any
mercy, and thrust the multitude through the place called Bezetha, [23]
as they forced their way, in order to get in and seize upon the temple,
and the tower Antonia. Florus also b