d
for their general, and by reason of the agony that the son was in. Yet
did the father soon put an end to the son's fear, and to the disorder
the army was under, for being superior to his pains, and endeavoring
soon to be seen by all that had been in a fright about him, he excited
them to fight the Jews more briskly; for now every body was willing to
expose himself to danger immediately, in order to avenge their general;
and then they encouraged one another with loud voices, and ran hastily
to the walls.

23. But still Josephus and those with him, although they fell down dead
one upon another by the darts and stones which the engines threw upon
them, yet did not they desert the wall, but fell upon those who managed
the ram, under the protection of the hurdles, with fire, and iron
weapons, and stones; and these could do little or nothing, but fell
themselves perpetually, while they were seen by those whom they could
not see, for the light of their own flame shone about them, and made
them a most visible mark to the enemy, as they were in the day time,
while the engines could not be seen at a great distance, and so what was
thrown at them was hard to be avoided; for the force with which these
engines threw stones and darts made them hurt several at a time, and the
violent noise of the stones that were cast by the engines was so great,
that they carried away the pinnacles of the wall, and broke off the
corners of the towers; for no body of men could be so strong as not to
be overthrown to the last rank by the largeness of the stones. And any
one may learn the force of the engines by what happened this very night;
for as one of those that stood round about Josephus was near the wall,
his head was carried away by such a stone, and his skull was flung as
far as three furlongs. In the day time also, a woman with child had her
belly so violently struck, as she was just come out of her house, that
the infant was carried to the distance of half a furlong, so great was
the force of that engine. The noise of the instruments themselves was
very terrible, the sound of the darts and stones that were thrown by
them was so also; of the same sort was that noise the dead bodies made,
when they were dashed against the wall; and indeed dreadful was the
clamor which these things raised in the women within the city, which was
echoed back at the same time by the cries of such as were slain; while
the whole space of ground whereon they fought