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[433]
In the mean time, one Manahem, the son of Judas, that was called
the Galilean, (who was a very cunning sophister, and had formerly reproached
the Jews under Cyrenius, that after God they were subject to the Romans,)
took some of the men of note with him, and retired to Masada, where he
broke open king Herod's armory, and gave arms not only to his own people,
but to other robbers also. These he made use of for a guard, and returned
in the state of a king to Jerusalem; he became the leader of the sedition,
and gave orders for continuing the siege; but they wanted proper instruments,
and it was not practicable to undermine the wall, because the darts came
down upon them from above. But still they dug a mine from a great distance
under one of the towers, and made it totter; and having done that, they
set on fire what was combustible, and left it; and when the foundations
were burnt below, the tower fell down suddenly. Yet did they then meet
with another wall that had been built within, for the besieged were sensible
beforehand of what they were doing, and probably the tower shook as it
was undermining; so they provided themselves of another fortification;
which when the besiegers unexpectedly saw, while they thought they had
already gained the place, they were under some consternation. However,
those that were within sent to Manahem, and to the other leaders of the
sedition, and desired they might go out upon a capitulation: this was granted
to the king's soldiers and their own countrymen only, who went out accordingly;
but the Romans that were left alone were greatly dejected, for they were
not able to force their way through such a multitude; and to desire them
to give them their right hand for their security, they thought it would
be a reproach to them; and besides, if they should give it them, they durst
not depend upon it; so they deserted their camp, as easily taken, and ran
away to the royal towers, - that called Hippicus, that called Phasaelus,
and that called Mariamne. But Manahem and his party fell upon the place
whence the soldiers were fled, and slew as many of them as they could catch,
before they got up to the towers, and plundered what they left behind them,
and set fire to their camp. This was executed on the sixth day of the month
Gorpieus [Elul].
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