For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter 14: Jerusalem.

  Mingling with the crowd, John and his followers made their waythrough the Damascus Gate into Jerusalem, and followed the DamascusStreet to the Gate of Ephraim. An air of sombre misery pervaded thewhole population. In their hearts the greater portion of thepopulation had, for many months, been longing for the approach ofthe Romans. Even death would be preferable to the misery which theysuffered. There were but few people in the streets; for allremained in their houses, with closed doors, save when necessitydrove them out to make purchases. Turning sharp round by the wall,the members of the band made their way along by it, until they weremet by one or other of those who had gone on in advance, and wereconducted to the house which had been hired for them.

  The inhabitants of the houses near looked out of their windows inalarm, when they saw so many armed men arriving; but they gainedcourage, on observing their quiet and orderly demeanor; and doorswere presently unbolted, and men came out to inquire who were thenewcomers. When they were told that they were from Galilee andPeraea, and had come down only to fight for the Holy City--thatthey would harm no one, and had nothing in common with any of thefactions--confidence was restored, and offers were at once made totake in ten, fifteen, or twenty men, according to the size of thehouses; for the people soon saw that the new arrivals would prove aprotection from the attacks and insults of small numbers of Simon'smen--who had hitherto pervaded the lower town, breaking intohouses, robbing and murdering wheresoever they chose.

  The grain was all stored in the house that had been hired; and hereJohn took up his quarters, with the men of his own company andthose of Asher, one of his bravest and most determined captains.The rest were all accommodated in houses in the same street. And asthis, like most of the streets of Jerusalem, was very narrow, Johnfelt that it could be defended against an attack by a greatlysuperior force.

  It was but half an hour after the band had been settled in theirquarters that a shriek was heard at the end of the street. John ranout in time to see a woman struck down; while a body of some twentyhalf-drunken soldiers, with drawn swords, were trying to force inthe door of a house. John sounded his bugle, and there was a rushof armed men into the street. John put himself at the head of thetwo companies with him, and advanced against the soldiers, andsternly ordered them to desist. The soldiers, astonished by thesudden appearance of so large a body of armed men, drew back inastonishment.

  "Who are you?" one, who seemed to be their leader, asked.

  "It matters not who I am," John said, quietly. "It is enough, asyou see, that I have a force here sufficiently strong to makemyself obeyed. This street, henceforth, is mine; and beware ofattempting plunder or violence here, for whoever does so surelydies!"

  Muttering threats below their breath, the soldiers sullenlywithdrew. An hour later, one of the inhabitants ran in to informJohn that a large body of men were coming down from the upper city.John immediately called his men to arms and, at their head, took uphis position at the end of the street.

  Ere long, a crowd of soldiers were seen approaching. At their headstrode one whom John at once guessed to be Simon, himself. When hearrived within ten paces Simon stopped, surprised at the compactorder and resolute appearance of the band which filled the street.

  "Who are you?" he asked John, imperiously.

  "My name is John, and I am generally called John of Gamala,although that is not my birthplace."

  Simon uttered an exclamation of astonishment; for the tales ofJohn's attack upon the Roman camp at Gamala, and of his subsequentactions against the Romans, were well known in Jerusalem.

  "You are but a lad," Simon said, contemptuously, "and John ofGamala must be a warrior!"

  "I am John of Gamala," John repeated, quietly, "and these men arepart of my band. We have come down to defend Jerusalem, since thereis no more to be done in the open country. We wish to interferewith none, to take part with no faction, but simply to defend thecity. We war with the Romans, and not with Jews. We assault no one,but woe be to him who assaults us! Here are six hundred of us, eachman ready to die; and though you have twenty men to one, yet willwe withstand you, if you meddle with us.

  "By tonight, the Romans will be outside the walls. Is this the timethat Jews should fall upon each other, like wild beasts?"

  Simon hesitated. The idea of opposition excited him, as usual, tofury but, upon the other hand, he saw that this determined bodywere not to be overcome, save with great loss, and he wanted hismen for his struggles with the Zealots.

  "You are not in correspondence with John of Gischala?" he asked,doubtfully.

  "I am in correspondence with none," John said. "As I have told you,we come only to fight for Jerusalem; and will take no part, on oneside or other, in your dissensions. We have taken up this street,between this gate and the Corner Gate, and this street we willhold."

  Simon still hesitated. He saw that, round this nucleus ofdetermined men, the whole of the citizens of the lower town mightgather; and that he might be forced to confine himself to the uppertown. This, however, would be of no great importance, now. Theinner, lower town was the poor quarter of Jerusalem. Here dwelt theartisans and mechanics, in the narrow and tortuous lanes; while thewealthier classes resided either in the upper town, where stood thepalaces of the great; or in the new town, between the second andthird walls.

  The new town had, indeed, until lately been a suburb outside thewalls. Agrippa had begun the third wall--which was to inclosethis--and, had he been allowed to build it according to his design,he would have made Jerusalem absolutely impregnable, save byfamine; but the authorities at Rome, knowing how turbulent were thepopulation of Jerusalem, and foreseeing that at some time theymight have to lay siege to the city, had forbidden its construction;and the new wall had been hastily erected by the Jews, themselves,after they had risen and defeated Cestius, four years before. Thiswall inclosed a vast number of villas, with gardens and open spaces,now thickly tenanted by the temporary habitations of the fugitivesand pilgrims.

  The lower town, then, contained but little to tempt the cupidity ofSimon's troops. Its houses had, indeed, been ransacked over andover again; and Simon reflected that, even should his men beprevented from descending into it, it would matter but littlewhile, as it was separated from the upper town by the TyropoeonValley, and the first wall, no rising there could be a formidabledanger to him. Still, it galled him to be resisted and, had it notbeen that the Romans were close at hand, he would at once havegiven his men orders to attack the strangers.

  He stood for some minutes, stroking his beard, and then said:

  "I will give you no answer, now. I will think over what you say,till tomorrow, then we will talk again."

  "I doubt not what your decision will be," John said. "You are abrave man, Simon; and although you have done much harm to the Jews,yet I know that you will defend Jerusalem, to the end, against theRomans. You need feel no jealousy of me. I aspire to no leadership,or power. I am here only to fight, and six hundred such men as mineare not to be despised in the day of trial. Should the Romans marchaway, baffled, before the walls, I, too, shall leave; and you, whoremain, can resume your mad struggles, if you will. But I thinkthat, in the presence of the enemy, all strife within the cityshould cease; and that we should be as one man, in the face of theRomans."

  Simon looked with surprise, and some admiration, at the young manwho so boldly addressed him. Savage and cruel as he was, Simon wasa man of the greatest bravery. He had none of the duplicity andtreachery which characterized John of Gischala, but wasstraightforward and, in his way, honest. As only his picture hascome down to us, as described by the pen of Josephus who, at thetime of his writing his history, had become thoroughly a Roman, andwho elevated Titus and his troops at the expense of his owncountrymen, great allowance must be made for the dark colors inwhich he is painted. The fact that he was regarded with affectionand devotion by his troops, who were willing to go to certain deathat his orders, shows that at least there must have been many goodqualities in him; and
history records no instance of more desperateand sustained bravery than he exhibited in defense of Jerusalem.

  The frankness of John's speech, instead of angering him, pleasedhim much.

  "Enough," he said. "I need no further time to reflect. A man whohad thought of treachery would not speak so boldly, and fearlessly,as you do. Let us be friends.

  "I have often wondered what sort of man was the John of Gamala ofwhom I have heard so much, and who has so long kept the fieldagainst the Romans; and although I wonder greatly at seeing you soyoung a man, yet I rejoice that so valiant a fighter should behere, to aid us in the struggle. Here is my hand, in token ofamity."

  John took the hand held out to him, and a shout of satisfactionrose from the armed men on either side--the followers of John beingrejoiced that they would not be called upon to engage in civilstrife, those of Simon well satisfied that they were not to becalled upon to attack a body of men who looked such formidableantagonists.

  Just at this moment, a man rode in at the gate, saying that theRomans were but two miles distant, and would speedily make theirappearance over the Hill of Scopus. Simon ordered a party of hismen to proceed at once to Damascus Gate, and to close it as soon asthe Romans were visible. Then he turned again to John.

  "Come up with me," he said, "to the Palace of Herod. From itssummit, we can see the enemy approaching."

  Giving orders to his men to lay aside their arms, and calling Jonasto accompany him, John without hesitation turned to accompanySimon. The latter had hardly expected him to accept his invitation,and the readiness with which he did so at once pleased andgratified him. It was a proof of fearlessness, and a testimony toJohn's belief in his faith and honor. John of Gischala, treacheroushimself, would not have placed himself in his power, whatever theguarantee he gave for his safety; while he himself would not haveconfided himself to John of Gischala, though the latter had swornto his safety with his hand on the altar.

  John, himself, was struck with the rugged grandeur of Simon'sappearance. He was far above the stature of ordinary men, and ofimmense strength; and there was, nevertheless, an ease andlightness in his carriage which showed that he was no less activethan strong. His face was leonine in expression. His long hair fellback from his forehead, his eyebrows were heavy, his eyes were grayand clear; with a fierce and savage expression when his brows metin a frown, and his lips were firmly set; but at other times frank,open, and straightforward in their look. The mouth was set anddetermined, without being hard; and a pleasant smile, at times, litup his features. He was a man capable of strong affections, andgenerous impulses.

  He was cruel, at times; but it was an age of cruelty; and Titushimself, who is held up as a magnanimous general, was guilty of farmore hideous cruelties than any committed by Simon. Had the latterbeen master of Jerusalem from the first, and had not the granariesbeen destroyed in the civil war, the legions of Titus would neverhave achieved the conquest of the city.

  Ascending the steep slope of the valley, they passed through thegate in the first wall and, turning to the right, entered thePalace of Herod, which was at once a royal dwelling, and a fortressof tremendous strength. Much as John's thoughts were otherwiseoccupied, he could not help being struck by the magnificence andsplendor of this noble building; but he said nothing as Simonstrode along through the forum, passed out beyond the palaceitself, entered the strong and lofty tower of Phasaelus, andascended to its summit.

  An involuntary exclamation burst from John, as he gained theplatform. From the point on which he stood, he commanded a view ofthe whole city, and of the country round. Far below, at his feet,lay the crowded streets of the inner town; between which and theouter wall the ground was thickly occupied by houses of the betterclass, standing half-embowered in trees. Close beside him rose thestately towers of Hippicus and Mariamne. Behind him was the Palaceof Herod, standing on the ground once occupied by the Castle ofDavid. On the east the Palace of Agrippa partly obscured the viewof the Temple; but a portion of the building could be seen,standing on its platform on the summit of Mount Moriah. To itsleft, and connected with it by two lines of cloisters, was thecastle of Antonia while, still further along, was the fort known asAcra. Behind the Palace of Herod, and its superb gardens, werescattered the palaces and mansions of the wealthy Jews andstrangers which, with their gardens, occupied the whole of theupper part of Mount Zion. On the lower slope of Mount Moriah, lyingbetween the Valley of Jehoshaphat and that of the Tyropoeon, was adensely-populated suburb known as the New Town. Westward, beyondthe Tower of Hippicus, lay the valley of Hinnom, with the DragonPool glistening in the sun while, at a distance of four or fivemiles, to the southward could be seen the village of Bethlehem. Thewhole country outside the walls was a garden, with countlessvillas, mansions, and groves of trees.

  For some minutes, John looked round in admiration of the scene,while Simon stood with his eyes fixed upon the road crossing MountScopus. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation, and John joined him,and looked in the direction in which he was gazing. The white lineof the road was darkened by a moving mass, sparkling as the sunshone on arms and armor.

  "They come, at last," Simon said and, as he spoke, cries of wailingand lamentation were heard from the walls, far below them.

  The four years that had elapsed, since danger first threatenedJerusalem, had deepened the impression in the minds of the Jewsthat the enemy would not be permitted to approach the Holy City. Itwas true that their faith had been sorely shaken, by many strangeprodigies. A strange light had shone about the altar and theTemple, and it was said that voices had been heard from the Holy ofHolies, saying, "Let us depart hence." The Beautiful Gate of theTemple, which required the strength of twenty men to close it, hadopened of its own accord. War chariots and armies had been seencontending in the clouds; and for months a great comet, in shapelike a flaming sword, had hung over the city. Still men had hoped,and the cry from the watchers that the Roman army was in sightstruck dismay among the inhabitants. There were still many withoutthe walls. Some of these rushed wildly into the gates, and enteredthe city; while the wiser fled away to the hills, and made theirway to their homes.

  Titus, as he reached the brow of Mount Scopus, reined in his horseand looked for some time, in silence, at the great and magnificentcity which extended before him; and there can be little doubt thathe would fain have spared it, had it been possible. Even a Romancould not gaze on the massive beauty of the Temple, unmoved. It wasthe most famous religious edifice in the world. From all parts,pilgrims flocked to it; and kings made offerings to it. It wasbelieved by the Jews to be the special seat of their deity; and theRomans, partly from policy, partly from superstition, paid respectand reverence to the gods of all the nations they subdued, andannual offerings had been sent by Rome to the Temple.

  Titus may well have wished to spare the city the ruin and misery ofa siege, to preserve the Temple intact, and to hand over to KingAgrippa, uninjured, his palace and capital. In all the widedominions of Rome, there was not a city which approached Jerusalemin beauty and grandeur; and Titus must have felt that whateverhonor would accrue to him, from its conquest, would be dearlypurchased by the linking of his name, to all time, as the destroyerof so magnificent a city. Similar emotions were felt by the groupof officers who rode with Titus, and who reined up their horses ashe did so. With them, the military point of view was doubtless themost prominent; and as they saw, from their lofty vantage ground,how the deep valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat girt the city in oneither side, and how stately and strong were the walls and towers,they may well have felt how mighty was the task which they hadbefore them.

  The scene was calm and peaceful. No sound of warlike trumpets camefrom the walls, no signs of an enemy appeared without; and Titusrode on, past the deserted villas and beautiful grounds thatbordered the road, until he neared the Damascus Gate. He wasaccompanied by six hundred horse, for the legions had encamped inthe Valley of Thorns, near the village of Gaboth Saul, some fourmiles from Jerusalem.

  The walls appeared deserte
d; but Titus, having experience of thedesperate courage of the Jews, paused at some little distance fromthe gate and, turning to the right, entered a lane which ranparallel to the wall, and made his way towards the Tower ofPsephinus--or the Rubble Tower--at the north-eastern angle of theouter wall. Suddenly, a gate near the Tower of the Women was thrownopen, and a crowd of armed men dashed out. Rushing forward at thetop of their speed, some threw themselves across the road whichTitus was following; but most of them rushed in behind him, cuttinghim off from the main body of his cavalry, and leaving him isolatedwith but a few followers.

  The main body of Roman cavalry, furiously assailed, and ignorantthat Titus was cut off from them, turned and fled. Titus hesitateda moment. In front of him was an unknown country. He knew notwhither the lane he was following led. Hedges rose on either sideand, even did he burst through the crowd in front of him, he mightbe overwhelmed by missiles, as he rode on. Therefore, calling uponhis men to follow him, he turned round and dashed into the crowdwhich barred his retreat.

  He wore neither helmet nor breastplate for, as he had only advancedto reconnoiter, and with no thought of fighting, these had beenleft behind. Yet, though javelins flew around him in showers, andarrows whizzed close to him, not one touched him as he struck,right and left, among those who barred his passage; while hiswarhorse, excited by the shouts and tumult, trampled them under hisfeet.

  In vain the Jews, astonished at his bravery, and still more so athis immunity from harm amid the shower of missiles, strove to seizehim. He and his little band cut his way onward, those in frontdrawing back with almost superstitious fear from his attack. Two,only, of his followers were slain. One fell, pierced with numerousjavelins. Another was pulled from his horse and killed but, withthe rest, he emerged unharmed from among his assailants, andreached his camp in safety.

  The soldiers of Simon--for it was his men who guarded this part ofthe wall--returned with mingled feelings. They were triumphant thatthey had caused the son of Caesar, himself, to fly before them.They were humiliated that so great a prize should have escapedthem, when he seemed in their hands; and they had a superstitiousfeeling that he had been divinely protected from their assaults.

  From their lookout, Simon and John had seen the Roman cavalry turnoff from the Damascus road into the lane, and had then lost sightof them. Then they heard the sudden din of battle, and the shoutsof the combatants, and saw the Roman cavalry riding off in fullspeed; but the clamor had continued and, in a short time, anotherlittle party of horsemen were seen to issue from the lane, andfollow their companions.

  Simon laughed, grimly.

  "We have taught the Romans, early, that the wasps have stings andthat, if they think they are going to take the nest withouttrouble, they will be mistaken.

  "And now, John, what do you advise? You were, they say, at Jotapataand Gamala; and you have since shown how well you understand theRoman tactics. I am a soldier, with an arm to strike but, so far, Ihave not had experience in the Roman tactics at sieges. Tell me,what would you do first, were you commander of this city?"

  "There is no doubt what is the first thing to be done," John said."It is the duty of all within this city to lay aside their feuds,and unite in her defense. It is for you, as the strongest, to makethe first advance; and to send at once to John and Eleazar topropose that, so long as the Romans are before the city, thereshall be a truce between you; and to arrange which part of thewalls shall be held by the soldiers of each. You must also arrangeto unite for common action, both in the defense and in attackingthem without the walls; for it is only by disturbing them at theirwork, and by hindering them as they bring forward their engines ofwar, that you can hope to hold the city. Strong as your walls maybe, they will crumble to ruins when the battering rams once begintheir work against them."

  Simon was silent for a minute, then he said:

  "Your advice is good. I will send at once to John and Eleazar, andask them to meet me on the bridge across the Tyropoeon, whichseparates our forces."

  The sun was already setting, but the distance was short. Simonadvanced to the bridge and, hailing the Zealots on the other side,said that he desired an interview with John, in reference to thedefense of the city; and that he pledged his solemn oath that noharm should come to him. He sent a similar message to Eleazar. Johnshortly appeared for, from the summit of Antonia, he too hadwatched the advancing Romans, and felt the necessity for commonaction for defense of the town.

  Eleazar refused to come. He would have trusted Simon, but to reachthe meeting place he would have had to pass through the outercourts of the Temple held by John, and he knew that no confidencecould be reposed in any oath that the latter might take. He sentword, however, that he was willing to abstain from all hostilities,and to make common cause with the others for the defense of thecity.

  John of Gischala advanced alone on to the bridge, a wide andstately edifice carried on lofty arches across the Tyropoeonvalley, from a point near the Palace of Agrippa to the platform ofthe Temple.

  "Come with me," Simon said to his companion.

  John of Gischala paused in his advance, as he saw that Simon wasnot alone.

  "Let one of your men come with you, if you like," Simon said, witha grim laugh at his hesitation; "or two, or six, if you like."

  But John of Gischala knew that the eyes of the soldiers on bothsides of the bridge were upon him and, having faith in the oath ofSimon, he again advanced.

  John looked with curiosity at the man of whom he had heard so much;and who, having been a scourge to Upper Galilee with his horde ofrobbers, had now brought such misery upon Jerusalem. Withoutapproaching his rival in size and strength, John of Gischala was apowerfully-built man. He did not shrink from danger, and had uponoccasion shown great bravery; but he relied upon craft, more thanforce, to gain his ends. He possessed great power of oratory, couldrouse men's passions or calm them, at will. He could cajole orthreaten, persuade or deceive, with equal facility; was alwaysready to break an oath, if it was inconvenient to keep it. Althoughfond of power, he was still more greedy of gain. But in onerespect, he and Simon agreed: both hated the Romans, with anintense and bitter hatred; both were ready to die in defense ofJerusalem.

  "I think it is time, John," Simon said, "to cease from our strife,for the present, and to make common cause against the enemy. If wecontinue our dissensions, and the Romans in consequence take thecity, our names will be accursed, in all generations, as the menwho gave Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans."

  "I am ready to agree to a truce," John of Gischala said. "It is youwho have been attacking me, not I who have been attacking you; butwe need not talk of that, now. Is it to be an understood thingthat, if the Romans retire, we shall both occupy the positions wehold now, whatever changes may have taken place; and we can theneither come to an understanding, or fight the matter out?"

  "Yes, that is what I would propose," Simon replied. "Whateverchanges may take place, when the Romans retire we occupy exactlythe positions we hold now. Will you swear to that, by the Temple?"

  "I will," John said.

  The two men each took a solemn oath to carry out the terms theyagreed upon and, throughout the siege, to put aside all enmitytowards each other; and to act together, in all things, for thedefense of the city. They then arranged as to the portion of thewall which each should occupy, these corresponding very nearly tothe lines which they at present held.

  Simon held the whole of the third wall which, commencing fromHippicus, the tower at the north corner of the high town, rannorthward to Psephinus--or the Rubble Tower--then eastward to theValley of Jehoshaphat, and again south to the Temple platform. Thesecond wall, inclosing the inner low town--or Inner Acra, as it wassometimes called--was divided between the two. Simon also held thefirst wall, from Hippicus right round at the foot of Zion acrossthe lower end of the Tyropoeon Valley, and round the outer low townas far as the platform of the Temple. John held the Templeplatform, the middle low town, and some parts of the cityimmediately adjacent, both on the sout
h slope of Mount Moriah--orOphel, as this portion of the hill was called--and part of theinner low town.

  The line, therefore, which Simon had to defend was vastly greaterthan that held by John's troops but, in fact, the whole linebordering the valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat was practicallyunassailable--the wall being built along the edge of precipices,where it could not be attacked either with battering rams or byescalade--and it was really the north face of the city, only, thatwas exposed to serious assault. The outer wall on this side--thatagainst which the assault would first be made--was entirelyoccupied by Simon's troops; but it was not anticipated that anysuccessful resistance could be made here, for the walls, hastilyraised by the Jews after turning out the Romans, were incapable ofoffering a long resistance to such a force as was now to assail it.It was, then, at the second wall that the first great stand wouldbe made; and John and Simon's troops divided this between them, sothat the division was fair enough, when it was considered thatSimon's force was more than double that of John.

  When this matter had been arranged, John of Gischala said to Simon:

  "Who is this young man who accompanies you?"

  "He is one who has done much more for the cause than either you orI, John of Gischala; and indeed, hitherto it may be doubted whetherwe have not been the two worst enemies of Jerusalem. This is Johnof Gamala, of whom we have heard so often, during the last threeyears."

  "This, John of Gamala!" John repeated, in a tone of incredulity;"you are mocking me, Simon."

  "I mock no one," Simon said, sternly. "I tell you this is John ofGamala; and when we think that you and I--men of war--have as yetstruck no single blow against the Romans, since I aided in thedefeat of the legion of Cestius--for you fled from Gischala like acoward, at night, while I have been fighting for my own land, downhere--we may well feel ashamed, both of us, in the presence of thisyouth; who has for three years harassed the Romans, burning theircamps, driving out small garrisons, hindering pillagers fromstraying over the country, cutting off their convoys, and forcingthem to keep ever on the watch.

  "I tell you, John, I feel ashamed beside him. He has brought heresix hundred men of his band, all picked and determined fellows, forthe defense of the city. I tell you they will be no meanassistance; and you would say so, also, had you seen how they drewup today, in solid order, ready to withstand the whole of my force.He is not of my party, or of yours; he comes simply to fightagainst the Romans and, as I understand him, when the Romansretire, he will leave, also."

  "That is certainly my intention," John said, quietly; "but before Igo, I hope that I shall be able to act as mediator between youboth, and to persuade you to come to some arrangement which mayfree Jerusalem from a renewal of the evils which, between you, youhave inflicted upon her. If you beat back the Romans, you will havegained all the honor that men could desire; and your names will godown to all posterity as the saviors of Jerusalem and the Temple.If you desire treasure, there is not a Jew but that will be readyto contribute, to the utmost of his power. If you desire power,Palestine is wide enough for you to divide it between you--onlybeware, lest by striving longer against each other, your names godown as those who have been the tyrants of the land; names to beaccursed, as long as the Hebrew tongue remains."

  The two men were silent. Bold as they were, they felt abashedbefore the outspoken rebuke of this stripling. They had heard himspoken of as one under the special protection of Jehovah. They knewthat he had had marvelous escapes, and that he had foughtsingle-handed with Titus; and the air of authority with which hespoke, his entire disregard of their power, his fearlessness in thepresence of men before whom all Jerusalem trembled, confirmed thestories they had heard, and created an impression almost to awe.

  "If we three are alive, when the Romans depart from before thecity," Simon said, in his deep voice, "it shall be as you say; andI bind myself, beforehand, to agree to whatever you shall decide isjust and right.

  "Therefore, John of Gischala, henceforth I shall regard this not asa truce, but as the beginning of peace between us; and our rivalryshall be who shall best defend the Holy City against her foes."

  "So be it!" John of Gischala replied; "but I would that Eleazarwere here. He is an enemy in my midst; and just as, whenever I wasfighting with you, he fell upon me from behind; so will it be that,while I am struggling with the Romans, he may be attacking me fromthe inner Temple. He has none of the outer walls to defend; andwill, therefore, be free to choose the moment when he can fall uponme, unawares."

  "Make peace with him, at any price," John said, "only put an end tothis strife, and let there be no more bloodshed in the Temple. Howcan we hope for God's assistance, in defending the city, when hisaltars are being daily desecrated with blood?"

  "I will see what I can do," John said. "Somehow or other, thisstrife must be brought to an end; and it shall be done withoutbloodshed, if possible."

  "There is another thing, John," Simon said. "Our comrade here hasbeen telling me that, from what he saw at Jotapata and Gamala, heis convinced that by passive resistance, only, we cannot defeat theRomans, but that we must sally out and attack them in their camps,and at their work; and therefore let us agree that we will meethere, from time to time, and arrange that, issuing together throughthe gates in our portions of the wall, we may unite in falling uponthe Romans."

  "The counsel is good," John of Gischala said. "It will keep up thecourage of men, to fight in the open. Whenever an opportunitypresents itself, my men shall act with yours. You have given Titusa lesson, today. The next time, we will divide the honor."