Indeed, to several of the brethren
this happened; but in obedience to their oaths, as will be seen in the
instance of the past President Theophilus--who went out and was no more
heard of--they endured all and died without a murmur, having betrayed
nothing. Still, notwithstanding the danger, driven to it by utter
weariness of their confinement in the dark and by the desire of
obtaining news, from time to time one of them would creep forth at night
to return again before daybreak. From these men Miriam heard that
after the murder of the high priest Mathias and his sons, together with
sixteen of the Sanhedrim, on a charge of correspondence with the Romans,
her grandfather, Benoni, had been elected to that body, in which he
exercised much influence and caused many to be put to death who were
accused of treason or of favouring the Roman cause. Caleb also was in
the Temple and foremost in every fight. He was said to have sworn an
oath that he would slay the Prefect of Horse, Marcus, with whom he had
an ancient quarrel, or be slain himself. It was told, indeed, that they
had met once already and struck some blows at each other, before they
were separated by an accident of war.
The beginning of August came at length, and the wretched city, in
addition to its other miseries, panted in the heat of a scorching summer
sun and was poisoned by the stench from the dead bodies that filled the
streets and were hurled in thousands from the walls.
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