ude [28] were gone up to Jerusalem to the feast of tabernacles;
yet did he destroy fifty of those that showed themselves, and burnt the
city, and so marched forwards; and ascending by Betboron, he pitched
his camp at a certain place called Gabao, fifty furlongs distant from
Jerusalem.

2. But as for the Jews, when they saw the war approaching to their
metropolis, they left the feast, and betook themselves to their arms;
and taking courage greatly from their multitude, went in a sudden and
disorderly manner to the fight, with a great noise, and without any
consideration had of the rest of the seventh day, although the Sabbath
[29] was the day to which they had the greatest regard; but that rage
which made them forget the religious observation [of the sabbath]
made them too hard for their enemies in the fight: with such violence
therefore did they fall upon the Romans, as to break into their ranks,
and to march through the midst of them, making a great slaughter as they
went, insomuch that unless the horsemen, and such part of the footmen as
were not yet tired in the action, had wheeled round, and succored that
part of the army which was not yet broken, Cestius, with his whole army,
had been in danger: however, five hundred and fifteen of the Romans were
slain, of which number four hundred were footmen, and the rest horsemen,
while the Jews lost only twenty-two, of whom the most valiant were the
kinsmen of Monobazus, king of Adiabene, and their names were Monobazus
and Kenedeus; and next to them were Niger of Perea, and Silas of
Babylon, who had deserted from king Agrippa to the Jews; for he had
formerly served in his army. When the front of the Jewish army had been
cut off, the Jews retired into the city; but still Simon, the son of
Giora, fell upon the backs of the Romans, as they were ascending up
Bethoron, and put the hindmost of the army into disorder, and carried
off many of the beasts that carded the weapons of war, and led Shem into
the city. But as Cestius tarried there three days, the Jews seized upon
the elevated parts of the city, and set watches at the entrances into
the city, and appeared openly resolved not to rest when once the Romans
should begin to march.

3. And now when Agrippa observed that even the affairs of the Romans
were likely to be in danger, while such an immense multitude of their
enemies had seized upon the mountains round about, he determined to try
what the Jews would agree to by words, a