The fall of Jerusalem and the Roman conquest of Judea . diffi-culty, though animated by the presence of Titus, theysucceeded in repelling the assault. On the next day—•the second of the Feast of the Passover — the Jewsrenewed their quarrels among themselves ; and John ofGischala, taking advantage of the opening of the Templegates for the worshippers, introduced his partizans, andmade himsel f master of the holy edifice. Eleazar, however,was suffered to retain his post, but under the orders of John,and the three factions were accordingly reduced to two. In the presence of a common danger, these
The fall of Jerusalem and the Roman conquest of Judea . diffi-culty, though animated by the presence of Titus, theysucceeded in repelling the assault. On the next day—•the second of the Feast of the Passover — the Jewsrenewed their quarrels among themselves ; and John ofGischala, taking advantage of the opening of the Templegates for the worshippers, introduced his partizans, andmade himsel f master of the holy edifice. Eleazar, however,was suffered to retain his post, but under the orders of John,and the three factions were accordingly reduced to two. In the presence of a common danger, these shamefulintestine dissensions were at length composed, and theZealots prepared to carry on the defence with one heartand one mind. Mr. Merivale remarks that the unanimityin action henceforth secured was due rather to the energythan to the numerical strength of the prevailing the faithful are always to be found the faithless,and there was never a company of patriots without onefaint heart among them: so we cannot doubt that within. n ^,1 WWWW: lijijlirijiiitlffliHI THE SIEGE 73 the crowded capital many timid souls were eager toescape from their fears and sufferings by voluntary sub-mission ; that the sentiment of patriotism or of religionwas not always powerful enough to withstand the appre-hension of approaching famine or imminent death.* Inthe first instance Titus attempted conciliation, andJosephus was despatched to the gates of the city to offerhonourable terms of capitulation. But the leaders of theZealots drove him from the walls with flights of siege continued Six weeks were spent in repeatedassaults and laborious siege operations. The Romansthen found themselves before the second rampart, with asecond and a third siege in prospect. Under these cir-cumstances, they determined to change their policy,and work on the fears of the besieged. They threatenedto reduce them by blockade. Titus drew a line of circum-vallation round the city, at a dis
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookpublisherlondon, booksubjectkingsandrulers
