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[304]
Since therefore the Roman commander Silva had now built a wall on
the outside, round about this whole place, as we have said already, and
had thereby made a most accurate provision to prevent any one of the besieged
running away, he undertook the siege itself, though he found but one single
place that would admit of the banks he was to raise; for behind that tower
which secured the road that led to the palace, and to the top of the hill
from the west; there was a certain eminency of the rock, very broad and
very prominent, but three hundred cubits beneath the highest part of Masada;
it was called the White Promontory. Accordingly, he got upon that part
of the rock, and ordered the army to bring earth; and when they fell to
that work with alacrity, and abundance of them together, the bank was raised,
and became solid for two hundred cubits in height. Yet was not this bank
thought sufficiently high for the use of the engines that were to be set
upon it; but still another elevated work of great stones compacted together
was raised upon that bank; this was fifty cubits, both in breadth and height.
The other machines that were now got ready were like to those that had
been first devised by Vespasian, and afterwards by Titus, for sieges. There
was also a tower made of the height of sixty cubits, and all over plated
with iron, out of which the Romans threw darts and stones from the engines,
and soon made those that fought from the walls of the place to retire,
and would not let them lift up their heads above the works. At the same
time Silva ordered that great battering ram which he had made to be brought
thither, and to be set against the wall, and to make frequent batteries
against it, which with some difficulty broke down a part of the wall, and
quite overthrew it. However, the Sicarii made haste, and presently built
another wall within that, which should not be liable to the same misfortune
from the machines with the other; it was made soft and yielding, and so
was capable of avoiding the terrible blows that affected the other. It
was framed after the following manner: They laid together great beams of
wood lengthways, one close to the end of another, and the same way in which
they were cut: there were two of these rows parallel to one another, and
laid at such a distance from each other as the breadth of the wall required,
and earth was put into the space between those rows. Now, that the earth
might not fall away upon the elevation of this bank to a greater height,
they further laid other beams over cross them, and thereby bound those
beams together that lay lengthways. This work of theirs was like a real
edifice; and when the machines were applied, the blows were weakened by
its yielding; and as the materials by such concussion were shaken closer
together, the pile by that means became firmer than before. When Silva
saw this, he thought it best to endeavor the taking of this wall by setting
fire to it; so he gave order that the soldiers should throw a great number
of burning torches upon it: accordingly, as it was chiefly made of wood,
it soon took fire; and when it was once set on fire, its hollowness made
that fire spread to a mighty flame. Now, at the very beginning of this
fire, a north wind that then blew proved terrible to the Romans; for by
bringing the flame downward, it drove it upon them, and they were almost
in despair of success, as fearing their machines would be burnt: but after
this, on a sudden the wind changed into the south, as if it were done by
Divine Providence, and blew strongly the contrary way, and carried the
flame, and drove it against the wall, which was now on fire through its
entire thickness. So the Romans, having now assistance from God, returned
to their camp with joy, and resolved to attack their enemies the very next
day; on which occasion they set their watch more carefully that night,
lest any of the Jews should run away from them without being discovered.
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