hn, who was
commander of the Idumeans, and was talking to a certain soldier of his
acquaintance before the wall, was wounded by a dart shot at him by an
Arabian, and died immediately, leaving the greatest lamentation to the
Jews, and sorrow to the seditious. For he was a man of great eminence,
both for his actions and his conduct also.

CHAPTER 7.

How One Of The Towers Erected By The Romans Fell Down Of Its
Own Accord; And How The Romans After Great Slaughter Had
Been Made Got Possession Of The First Wall. How Also Titus
Made His Assaults Upon The Second Wall; As Also Concerning
Longinus The Roman, And Castor The Jew.

1. Now, on the next night, a surprising disturbance fell upon the
Romans; for whereas Titus had given orders for the erection of three
towers of fifty cubits high, that by setting men upon them at every
bank, he might from thence drive those away who were upon the wall, it
so happened that one of these towers fell down about midnight; and as
its fall made a very great noise, fear fell upon the army, and they,
supposing that the enemy was coming to attack them, ran all to their
arms. Whereupon a disturbance and a tumult arose among the legions,
and as nobody could tell what had happened, they went on after a
disconsolate manner; and seeing no enemy appear, they were afraid one of
another, and every one demanded of his neighbor the watchword with great
earnestness, as though the Jews had invaded their camp. And now were
they like people under a panic fear, till Titus was informed of what
had happened, and gave orders that all should be acquainted with it;
and then, though with some difficulty, they got clear of the disturbance
they had been under.

2. Now these towers were very troublesome to the Jews, who otherwise
opposed the Romans very courageously; for they shot at them out of their
lighter engines from those towers, as they did also by those that threw
darts, and the archers, and those that flung stones. For neither could
the Jews reach those that were over them, by reason of their height; and
it was not practicable to take them, nor to overturn them, they were so
heavy, nor to set them on fire, because they were covered with plates of
iron. So they retired out of the reach of the darts, and did no longer
endeavor to hinder the impression of their rams, which, by continually
beating upon the wall, did gradually prevail against it; so that
the wall already gave way to