a suspicion about this deserter, as knowing how faithful the Jews were
to one another, and how much they despised any punishments that could be
inflicted on them; this last because one of the people of Jotapata had
undergone all sorts of torments, and though they made him pass through a
fiery trial of his enemies in his examination, yet would he inform them
nothing of the affairs within the city, and as he was crucified, smiled
at them. However, the probability there was in the relation itself
did partly confirm the truth of what the deserter told them, and they
thought he might probably speak truth. However, Vespasian thought they
should be no great sufferers if the report was a sham; so he commanded
them to keep the man in custody, and prepared the army for taking the
city.

34. According to which resolution they marched without noise, at the
hour that had been told them, to the wall; and it was Titus himself that
first got upon it, with one of his tribunes, Domitius Sabinus, and had
a few of the fifteenth legion along with him. So they cut the throats of
the watch, and entered the city very quietly. After these came Cerealis
the tribune, and Placidus, and led on those that were tinder them. Now
when the citadel was taken, and the enemy were in the very midst of the
city, and when it was already day, yet was not the taking of the city
known by those that held it; for a great many of them were fast asleep,
and a great mist, which then by chance fell upon the city, hindered
those that got up from distinctly seeing the case they were in, till the
whole Roman army was gotten in, and they were raised up only to find the
miseries they were under; and as they were slaying, they perceived the
city was taken. And for the Romans, they so well remembered what they
had suffered during the siege, that they spared none, nor pitied any,
but drove the people down the precipice from the citadel, and slew them
as they drove them down; at which time the difficulties of the place
hindered those that were still able to fight from defending themselves;
for as they were distressed in the narrow streets, and could not keep
their feet sure along the precipice, they were overpowered with the
crowd of those that came fighting them down from the citadel. This
provoked a great many, even of those chosen men that were about
Josephus, to kill themselves with their own hands; for when they saw
that they could kill none of the Romans, they resolved