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[356]
Thus did the Romans spend four days in bringing this subsistence-money
to the several legions. But on the fifth day, when no signs of peace appeared
to come from the Jews, Titus divided his legions, and began to raise banks,
both at the tower of Antonia and at John's monument. Now his designs were
to take the upper city at that monument, and the temple at the tower of
Antonia; for if the temple were not taken, it would be dangerous to keep
the city itself; so at each of these parts he raised him banks, each legion
raising one. As for those that wrought at John's monument, the Idumeans,
and those that were in arms with Simon, made sallies upon them, and put
some stop to them; while John's party, and the multitude of zealots with
them, did the like to those that were before the tower of Antonia. These
Jews were now too hard for the Romans, not only in direct fighting, because
they stood upon the higher ground, but because they had now learned to
use their own engines; for their continual use of them one day after another
did by degrees improve their skill about them; for of one sort of engines
for darts they had three hundred, and forty for stones; by the means of
which they made it more tedious for the Romans to raise their banks. But
then Titus, knowing that the city would be either saved or destroyed for
himself, did not only proceed earnestly in the siege, but did not omit
to have the Jews exhorted to repentance; so he mixed good counsel with
his works for the siege. And being sensible that exhortations are frequently
more effectual than arms, he persuaded them to surrender the city, now
in a manner already taken, and thereby to save themselves, and sent Josephus
to speak to them in their own language; for he imagined they might yield
to the persuasion of a countryman of their own.
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