to pieces, and perpetually brought earth to them; so that while
they were busy three sorts of ways, nobody was idle. However, the
Jews cast great stones from the walls upon the hurdles which
protected the men, with all sorts of darts also; and the noise of
what could not reach them was yet so terrible, that it was some
impediment to the workmen.

9. Vespasian then set the engines for throwing stones and darts
round about the city. The number of the engines was in all a
hundred and sixty, and bid them fall to work, and dislodge those
that were upon the wall. At the same time such engines as were
intended for that purpose threw at once lances upon them with a
great noise, and stones of the weight of a talent were thrown by
the engines that were prepared for that purpose, together with
fire, and a vast multitude of arrows, which made the wall so
dangerous, that the Jews durst not only not come upon it, but
durst not come to those parts within the walls which were reached
by the engines; for the multitude of the Arabian archers, as well
also as all those that threw darts and slung stones, fell to work
at the same time with the engines. Yet did not the otters lie
still, when they could not throw at the Romans from a higher
place; for they then made sallies out of the city, like private
robbers, by parties, and pulled away the hurdles that covered the
workmen, and killed them when they were thus naked; and when
those workmen gave way, these cast away the earth that composed
the bank, and burnt the wooden parts of it, together with the
hurdles, till at length Vespasian perceived that the intervals
there were between the works were of disadvantage to him; for
those spaces of ground afforded the Jews a place for assaulting
the Romans. So he united the hurdles, and at the same time joined