e those that had seized upon Mount Tabor, a
place that lies in the middle between the great plain and Scythopolis,
whose top is elevated as high as thirty furlongs [2] and is hardly to be
ascended on its north side; its top is a plain of twenty-six furlongs,
and all encompassed with a wall. Now Josephus erected this so long a
wall in forty days' time, and furnished it with other materials, and
with water from below, for the inhabitants only made use of rain water.
As therefore there was a great multitude of people gotten together
upon this mountain, Vespasian sent Placidus with six hundred horsemen
thither. Now, as it was impossible for him to ascend the mountain, he
invited many of them to peace, by the offer of his right hand for their
security, and of his intercession for them. Accordingly they came down,
but with a treacherous design, as well as he had the like treacherous
design upon them on the other side; for Placidus spoke mildly to them,
as aiming to take them, when he got them into the plain; they also came
down, as complying with his proposals, but it was in order to fall upon
him when he was not aware of it: however, Placidus's stratagem was too
hard for theirs; for when the Jews began to fight, he pretended to run
away, and when they were in pursuit of the Romans, he enticed them
a great way along the plain, and then made his horsemen turn back;
whereupon he beat them, and slew a great number of them, and cut off the
retreat of the rest of the multitude, and hindered their return. So they
left Tabor, and fled to Jerusalem, while the people of the country came
to terms with him, for their water failed them, and so they delivered up
the mountain and themselves to Placidus.

9. But of the people of Gamala, those that were of the bolder sort fled
away and hid themselves, while the more infirm perished by famine; but
the men of war sustained the siege till the two and twentieth day of
the month Hyperberetmus, [Tisri,] when three soldiers of the fifteenth
legion, about the morning watch, got under a high tower that was near
them, and undermined it, without making any noise; nor when they either
came to it, which was in the night time, nor when they were under it,
did those that guarded it perceive them. These soldiers then upon their
coming avoided making a noise, and when they had rolled away five of its
strongest stones, they went away hastily; whereupon the tower fell down
on a sudden, with a very great noise,