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[109]
Now at this very time the Jews contrived the following stratagem
against the Romans. The bolder sort of the seditious went out at the towers,
called the Women's Towers, as if they had been ejected out of the city
by those who were for peace, and rambled about as if they were afraid of
being assaulted by the Romans, and were in fear of one another; while those
that stood upon the wall, and seemed to be of the people's side, cried
out aloud for peace, and entreated they might have security for their lives
given them, and called for the Romans, promising to open the gates to them;
and as they cried out after that manner, they threw stones at their own
people, as though they would drive them away from the gates. These also
pretended that they were excluded by force, and that they petitioned those
that were within to let them in; and rushing upon the Romans perpetually,
with violence, they then came back, and seemed to be in great disorder.
Now the Roman soldiers thought this cunning stratagem of theirs was to
be believed real, and thinking they had the one party under their power,
and could punish them as they pleased, and hoping that the other party
would open their gates to them, set to the execution of their designs accordingly.
But for Titus himself, he had this surprising conduct of the Jews in suspicion;
for whereas he had invited them to come to terms of accommodation, by Josephus,
but one day before, he could then receive no civil answer from them; so
he ordered the soldiers to stay where they were. However, some of them
that were set in the front of the works prevented him, and catching up
their arms ran to the gates; whereupon those that seemed to have been ejected
at the first retired; but as soon as the soldiers were gotten between the
towers on each side of the gate, the Jews ran out and encompassed them
round, and fell upon them behind, while that multitude which stood upon
the wall threw a heap of stones and darts of all kinds at them, insomuch
that they slew a considerable number, and wounded many more; for it was
not easy for the Romans to escape, by reason those behind them pressed
them forward; besides which, the shame they were under for being mistaken,
and the fear they were in of their commanders, engaged them to persevere
in their mistake; wherefore they fought with their spears a great while,
and received many blows from the Jews, though indeed they gave them as
many blows again, and at last repelled those that had encompassed them
about, while the Jews pursued them as they retired, and followed them,
and threw darts at them as far as the monuments of queen Helena.
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