But　when　Titus　perceived　that　his　endeavors　to　spare　a　foreign　temple　turned　to　the　damage　of　his　soldiers；　and　then　be　killed；　he　gave　order　to　set　the　gates　on　fire。
  2。　In　the　mean　time；　there　deserted　to　him　Ananus；　who　came　from　Emmaus；　the　most　bloody　of　all　Simon's　guards；　and　Archelaus；　the　son　of　Magadatus；　they　hoping　to　be　still　forgiven；　because　they　left　the　Jews　at　a　time　when　they　were　the　conquerors。　Titus　objected　this　to　these　men；　as　a　cunning　trick　of　theirs；　and　as　he　had　been　informed　of　their　other　barbarities　towards　the　Jews；　he　was　going　in　all　haste　to　have　them　both　slain。　He　told　them　that　they　were　only　driven　to　this　desertion　because　of　the　utmost　distress　they　were　in；　and　did　not　come　away　of　their　own　good　disposition；　and　that　those　did　not　deserve　to　be　preserved；　by　whom　their　own　city　was　already　set　on　fire；　out　of　which　fire　they　now　hurried　themselves　away。　However；　the　security　he　had　promised　deserters　overcame　his　resentments；　and　he　dismissed　them　accordingly；　though　he　did　not　give　them　the　same　privileges　that　he　had　　afforded　to　others。　And　now　the　soldiers　had　already　put　fire　to　the　gates；　and　the　silver　that　was　over　them　quickly　carried　the　flames　to　the　wood　that　was　within　it；　whence　it　spread　itself　all　on　the　sudden；　and　caught　hold　on　the　cloisters。　Upon　the　Jews　seeing　this　fire　all　about　them；　their　spirits　sunk　together　with　their　bodies；　and　they　were　under　such　astonishment；　that　not　one　of　them　made　any　haste；　either　to　defend　himself　or　to　quench　the　fire；　but　they　stood　as　mute　spectators　of　it　only。　However；　they　did　not　so　grieve　at　the　loss　of　what　was　now　burning；　as　to　grow　wiser　thereby　for　the　time　to　come；　but　as　though　the　holy　house　itself　had　been　on　fire　already；　they　whetted　their　passions　against　the　Romans。　This　fire　prevailed　　during　that　day　and　the　next　also；　for　the　soldiers　were　not　able　to　burn　all　the　cloisters　that　were　round　about　together　at　one　time；　but　only　by　pieces。　　　　3。　But　then；　on　the　next　day；　Titus　commanded　part　of　his　army　to　quench　the　fire；　and　to　make　a　road　for　the　more　easy　marching　up　of　the　legions；　while　he　himself　gathered　the　commanders　together。　Of　those　there　were　assembled　the　six　principal　persons：　Tiberius　Alexander；　the　commander　＇under　the　general＇　of　the　whole　army；　with　Sextus　Cerealis；　the　commander　of　the　fifth　legion；　and　Larcius　Lepidus；　the　commander　of　the　tenth　legion；　and　Titus　Frigius；　the　commander　of　the　fifteenth　legion：　there　was　also　with　them　Eternius；　the　leader　of　the　two　legions　that　came　from　Alexandria；　and　Marcus　Antonius　Julianus；　procurator　of　Judea：　after　these　came　together　all　the　rest　of　the　procurators　and　tribunes。　Titus　proposed　to　these　that　they　should　give　him　their　advice　what　should　be　done　about　the　holy　house。　Now　some　of　these　thought　it　would　be　the　best　way　to　act　according　to　the　rules　of　war；　＇and　demolish　it；＇　because　the　Jews　would　never　leave　off　rebelling　while　that　house　was　standing；　at　which　house　it　was　that　they　used　to　get　all　together。　Others　of　them　were　of　opinion；　that　in　case　the　Jews　would　leave　it；　and　none　of　them　would　lay　their　arms　up　in　it；　he　might　save　it；　but　that　in　case　they　got　upon　it；　and　fought　any　more；　he　might　burn　it；　because　it　must　then　be　looked　upon　not　as　a　holy　house；　but　as　a　citadel；　and　that　the　impiety　of　burning　it　would　then　belong　to　those　that　forced　this　to　be　done；　and　not　to　them。　But　Titus　said；　that　〃although　the　Jews　should　get　upon　that　holy　house；　and　fight　us　thence；　yet　ought　we　not　to　revenge　ourselves　on　things　that　are　inanimate；　instead　of　the　men　themselves；〃　and　that　he　was　not　in　any　case　for　burning　down　so　vast　a　work　as　that　was；　because　this　would　be　a　mischief　to　the　Romans　themselves；　as　it　would　be　an　ornament　to　their　government　while　it　continued。　So　Fronto；　and　Alexander；　and　Cerealis　grew　bold　upon　that　declaration；　and　agreed　to　the　opinion　of　Titus。　Then　was　this　assembly　dissolved；　when　Titus　had　given　orders　to　the　commanders　that　the　rest　of　their　forces　should　lie　still；　but　that　they　should　make　use　of　such　as　were　most　courageous　in　this　attack。　So　he　commanded　that　the　chosen　men　that　were　taken　out　of　the　cohorts　should　make　their　way　through　the　ruins；　and　　quench　the　fire。　　　　4。　Now　it　is　true　that　on　this　day　the　Jews　were　so　weary；　and　under　such　consternation；　that　they　refrained　from　any　attacks。　But　on　the　next　day　they　gathered　their　whole　force　together；　and　ran　upon　those　that　guarded　the　outward　court　of　the　temple　very　boldly；　through　the　east　gate；　and　this　about　the　second　hour　of　the　day。　These　guards　received　that　their　attack　with　great　bravery；　and　by　covering　themselves　with　their　shields　before；　as　if　it　were　with　a　wall；　they　drew　their　squadron　close　together；　yet　was　it　evident　that　they　could　not　abide　there　very　long；　but　would　be　overborne　by　the　multitude　of　those　that　sallied　out　upon　them；　and　by　the　heat　of　their　passion。　However；　Caesar　seeing；　from　the　tower　of　Antonia；　that　this　squadron　was　likely　to　give　way；　he　sent　some　chosen　horsemen　to　support　them。　Hereupon　the　Jews　found　themselves　not　able　to　sustain　their　onset；　and　upon　the　slaughter　of　those　in　the　forefront；　many　of　the　rest　were　put　to　flight。　But　as　the　Romans　were　going　off；　the　Jews　turned　upon　them；　and　fought　them；　and　as　those　Romans　came　back　upon　them；　they　retreated　again；　until　about　the　fifth　hour　of　the　day　they　were　overborne；　and　shut　themselves　up　in　the　inner　＇court　of　the＇　temple。　　　　5。　So　Titus　retired　into　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　resolved　to　storm　the　temple　the　next　day；　early　in　the　morning；　with　his　whole　army；　and　to　encamp　round　about　the　holy　house。　But　as　for　that　house；　God　had；　for　certain；　long　ago　doomed　it　to　the　fire；　and　now　that　fatal　day　was　come；　according　to　the　revolution　of　ages；　it　was　the　tenth　day　of　the　month　Lous；　＇Ab；＇　upon　which　it　was　formerly　burnt　by　the　king　of　Babylon；　although　these　flames　took　their　rise　from　the　Jews　themselves；　and　were　occasioned　by　them；　for　upon　Titus's　retiring；　the　seditious　lay　still　for　a　little　while；　and　then　attacked　the　Romans　again；　when　those　that　guarded　the　holy　house　fought　with　those　that　quenched　the　fire　that　was　burning　the　inner　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　but　these　Romans　put　the　Jews　to　flight；　and　proceeded　as　far　as　the　holy　house　itself。　At　which　time　one　of　the　soldiers；　without　staying　for　any　orders；　and　without　any　concern　or　dread　upon　him　at　so　great　an　undertaking；　and　being　hurried　on　by　a　certain　divine　fury；　snatched　somewhat　out　of　the　materials　that　were　on　fire；　and　being　lifted　up　by　another　soldier；　he　set　fire　to　a　golden　window；　through　which　there　was　a　passage　to　the　rooms　that　were　round　about　the　holy　house；　on　the　north　side　of　it。　As　the　flames　went　upward；　the　Jews　made　a　great　clamor；　such　as　so　mighty　an　affliction　required；　and　ran　together　to　prevent　it；　and　now　they　spared　not　their　lives　any　longer；　nor　suffered　any　thing　to　restrain　their　force；　since　that　holy　house　was　perishing；　for　whose　sake　it　was　that　they　kept　such　a　guard　about　it。　　　　6。　And　now　a　certain　person　came　running　to　Titus；　and　told　him　of　this　fire；　as　he　was　resting　himself　in　his　tent　after　the　last　battle；　whereupon　he　rose　up　in　great　haste；　and；　as　he　was；　ran　to　the　holy　house；　in　order　to　have　a　stop　put　to　the　fire；　after　him　followed　all　his　commanders；　and　after　them　followed　the　several　legions；　in　great　astonishment；　so　there　was　a　great　clamor　and　tumult　raised；　as　was　natural　upon　the　disorderly　motion　of　so　great　an　army。　Then　did　Caesar；　both　by　calling　to　the　soldiers　that　were　fighting；　with　a　loud　voice；　and　by　giving　a　signal　to　them　with　his　right　hand；　order　them　to　quench　the　fire。　But　they　did　not　hear　what　he　said；　though　he　spake　so　loud；　having　their　ears　already　dimmed　by　a　greater　noise　another　way；　nor　did　they　attend　to　the　signal　he　made　with　his　hand　neither；　as　still　some　of　them　were　distracted　with　fighting；　and　others　with　passion。　But　as　for　the　legions　that　came　running　thither；　neither　any　persuasions　nor　any　threatenings　could　restrain　their　violence；　but　each　one's　own　passion　was　his　commander　at　this　time；　and　as　they　were　crowding　into　the　temple　together；　many　of　them　were　trampled　on　by　one　another；　while　a　great　number　fell　among　the　ruins　of　the　cloisters；　which　were　still　hot　and　smoking；　and　were　destroyed　in　the　same　miserable　way　with　those　whom　they　had　conquered；　and　when　they　were　come　near　the　holy　house；　they　made　as　if　they　did　not　so　much　as　hear　Caesar's　orders　to　the　contrary；　but　they　encouraged　those　that　were　before　them　to　set　it　on　fire。　As　for　the　seditious；　they　were　in　too　great　distress　already　to　afford　their　assistance　＇towards　quenching　the　fire＇；　they　were　every　where　slain；　and　every　where　beaten；　and　as　for　a　great　part　of　the　people；　they　were　weak　and　without　arms；　and　had　their　throats　cut　wherever　they　were　caught。　Now　round　about　the　altar　lay　dead　bodies　heaped　one　upon　another；　as　at　the　steps　（16）　going　up　to　it　ran　a　great　quantity　of　their　blood；　whither　also　the　dead　bodies　that　were　slain　above　＇on　the　altar＇　fell　down。　　　　7。　And　now；　since　Caesar　was　no　way　able　to　restrain　the　enthusiastic　fury　of　the　soldi