ever, John staid behind, out of his fear of Simon, even while his
own men were earnest in making a sally upon their enemies without. Yet
did not Simon lie still, for he lay near the place of the siege; he
brought his engines of war, and disposed of them at due distances upon
the wall, both those which they took from Cestius formerly, and those
which they got when they seized the garrison that lay in the tower
Antonia. But though they had these engines in their possession, they had
so little skill in using them, that they were in great measure useless
to them; but a few there were who had been taught by deserters how to
use them, which they did use, though after an awkward manner. So they
cast stones and arrows at those that were making the banks; they also
ran out upon them by companies, and fought with them. Now those that
were at work covered themselves with hurdles spread over their banks,
and their engines were opposed to them when they made their excursions.
The engines, that all the legions had ready prepared for them, were
admirably contrived; but still more extraordinary ones belonged to the
tenth legion: those that threw darts and those that threw stones were
more forcible and larger than the rest, by which they not only repelled
the excursions of the Jews, but drove those away that were upon the
walls also. Now the stones that were cast were of the weight of a
talent, and were carried two furlongs and further. The blow they gave
was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first in the
way, but by those that were beyond them for a great space. As for the
Jews, they at first watched the coming of the stone, for it was of a
white color, and could therefore not only be perceived by the great
noise it made, but could be seen also before it came by its brightness;
accordingly the watchmen that sat upon the towers gave them notice when
the engine was let go, and the stone came from it, and cried out aloud,
in their own country language, The Stone Cometh [15] so those that were
in its way stood off, and threw themselves down upon the ground; by
which means, and by their thus guarding themselves, the stone fell down
and did them no harm. But the Romans contrived how to prevent that by
blacking the stone, who then could aim at them with success, when the
stone was not discerned beforehand, as it had been till then; and so
they destroyed many of them at one blow. Yet did not the Jews, under all
this distress,