ffered more mischief from Eleazar and his party than he
could inflict upon them, yet would he not leave off assaulting them,
insomuch that there were continual sallies made one against another, as
well as darts thrown at one another, and the temple was defiled every
where with murders.

3. But now the tyrant Simon, the son of Gioras, whom the people had
invited in, out of the hopes they had of his assistance in the great
distresses they were in, having in his power the upper city, and a great
part of the lower, did now make more vehement assaults upon John and
his party, because they were fought against from above also; yet was he
beneath their situation when he attacked them, as they were beneath the
attacks of the others above them. Whereby it came to pass that John did
both receive and inflict great damage, and that easily, as he was fought
against on both sides; and the same advantage that Eleazar and his party
had over him, since he was beneath them, the same advantage had he, by
his higher situation, over Simon. On which account he easily repelled
the attacks that were made from beneath, by the weapons thrown from
their hands only; but was obliged to repel those that threw their
darts from the temple above him, by his engines of war; for he had such
engines as threw darts, and javelins, and stones, and that in no small
number, by which he did not only defend himself from such as fought
against him, but slew moreover many of the priests, as they were about
their sacred ministrations. For notwithstanding these men were mad with
all sorts of impiety, yet did they still admit those that desired to
offer their sacrifices, although they took care to search the people of
their own country beforehand, and both suspected and watched them; while
they were not so much afraid of strangers, who, although they had gotten
leave of them, how cruel soever they were, to come into that court, were
yet often destroyed by this sedition; for those darts that were thrown
by the engines came with that force, that they went over all the
buildings, and reached as far as the altar, and the temple itself, and
fell upon the priests, and those [2] that were about the sacred offices;
insomuch that many persons who came thither with great zeal from the
ends of the earth, to offer sacrifices at this celebrated place, which
was esteemed holy by all mankind, fell down before their own sacrifices
themselves, and sprinkled that altar which was venerab