“What happens?” she gasped as she dressed herself hastily.

“Those Syrian dogs attack the Jews,” answered Nehushta, “on the mainland and in the lower city.  Come to the roof, whence we can see what passes,” and hand in hand they ran to the sea-portico and up its steep steps.

The dawn was just breaking, but looking from the walled roof they had no need of its light, since everywhere in the dim city below and in Palaetyrus on the mainland, houses flared like gigantic torches.  In their red glare they could see the thousands of the attackers dragging out their inmates to death, or thrusting them back into the flames, while the night was made horrible with the shouts of the maddened mob, the cries of the victims and the crackling roar of burning houses.

“Oh!  Christ have mercy on them,” sobbed Miriam.

“Why should He?” asked Nehushta.  “They slew Him and rejected Him; now they pay the price He prophesied.  May He have mercy on us, His servants.”

“He would not have spoken thus,” said Miriam indignantly.

“Nay, but justice speaks.  Those who take the sword shall perish by the sword.  Even so have these Jews done to the Greeks and Syrians in many of the cities—­they who are blind and mad.  Now it is their hour, and mayhap ours.  Come, lady, these are no sights for you, though you might do well to learn to bear them, since if you escape you may see many such.  Come, and if you wish we will pray for these Jews, especially for their children, who are innocent, and for ourselves.”

That day at noon, most of the poorer and least protected Jews of the city having been killed, the Syrians began their attack upon the fortified palace of Benoni.  Now it was that the defenders learned that they had to deal with no mere rabble, but with savage hordes, many thousands strong, directed by officers skilled in war.  Indeed these men might be seen moving among them, and from their armour and appearance it was easy to guess that they were Romans.  This, in fact, was the case, since Gessius Florus, the wicked, and after him other officers, made it part of their policy to send Romans to stir up the Syrians against the Jews and to assist them in their slaughter.

First an attack was made upon the main gates, but when it was found that these were too strong to be taken easily, the assailants retreated with a loss of a score of men shot by the defenders from the wall.  Then other tactics were adopted, for the Syrians, possessing themselves of the neighbouring houses, began to gall the garrison with arrows from the windows.  Thus they drove them under cover, but did little more, since the palace was all of marble with cemented roofs, and could not be fired with the burning shafts they sent down upon it.

So the first day passed, and during the night no attack was made upon them.  When dawn came they learned the reason, for there opposite to the gates was reared a great battering-ram; moreover, out at sea a huge galley was being rowed in as close to their walls as the depth of water would allow, that from her decks the sailors might hurl stones and siege arrows by means of catapults and thus break down their defences and destroy them.