s thinking that he should either
persuade them all to desist from fighting, or, however, that he should
cause the sober part of them to separate themselves from the opposite
party. So he sent Borceus and Phebus, the persons of his party that were
the best known to them, and promised them that Cestius should give them
his right hand, to secure them of the Romans' entire forgiveness of what
they had done amiss, if they would throw away their arms, and come over
to them; but the seditious, fearing lest the whole multitude, in
hopes of security to themselves, should go over to Agrippa, resolved
immediately to fall upon and kill the ambassadors; accordingly they
slew Phebus before he said a word, but Borceus was only wounded, and so
prevented his fate by flying away. And when the people were very angry
at this, they had the seditious beaten with stones and clubs, and drove
them before them into the city.

4. But now Cestius, observing that the disturbances that were begun
among the Jews afforded him a proper opportunity to attack them, took
his whole army along with him, and put the Jews to flight, and pursued
them to Jerusalem. He then pitched his camp upon the elevation called
Scopus, [or watch-tower,] which was distant seven furlongs from
the city; yet did not he assault them in three days' time, out of
expectation that those within might perhaps yield a little; and in the
mean time he sent out a great many of his soldiers into neighboring
villages, to seize upon their corn. And on the fourth day, which was the
thirtieth of the month Hyperbereteus, [Tisri,] when he had put his army
in array, he brought it into the city. Now for the people, they were
kept under by the seditious; but the seditious themselves were greatly
affrighted at the good order of the Romans, and retired from the
suburbs, and retreated into the inner part of the city, and into the
temple. But when Cestius was come into the city, he set the part called
Bezetha, which is called Cenopolis, [or the new city,] on fire; as he
did also to the timber market; after which he came into the upper city,
and pitched his camp over against the royal palace; and had he but at
this very time attempted to get within the walls by force, he had won
the city presently, and the war had been put an end to at once; but
Tyrannius Priseus, the muster-master of the army, and a great number of
the officers of the horse, had been corrupted by Florus, and diverted
him from that his