Page:Jerusalem's captivities lamented, or, A plain description of Jerusalem (2).pdf/14

 fire, slew every man of the guard, which Titus hearing, brought his whole army thither. At that time a soldier of the seditious took a flaming fire-brand, and cast it through the golden window into the temple, and the others set fire to the doors, and after the gold grew hot, the whole fabric was in a flame, and the Holy of Holies was laid open to the view of all there present.

This happened in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, and the same month that it was burnt by Nebuchadnezzar. Titus drew his sword to save the holy place, but the flames rushed through all parts of the temple in a moment, so that none could save it. The Jews seeing all go to destruction before their eyes, they then threw themselves into the flames, "Why should we live any longer? now there is no temple." After the Holy of Holies was burnt, Titus entered it, and saw the glory of it, and said, "I well perceive that this is no other than the house of God, and the dwelling place of the king of heaven: the God of heaven who is God of this house, take vengeance on the seditious, whose heinous deeds have brought this evil upon themselves and this holy plaeeplace [sic]."

On the 7th of September Titus commanded all the lower city to be set on fire, and assaulted the upper city, breaking over their fences, and destroying all before him with fire and sword, then he commanded the city and temple to be razed to the foundation, and the ground to be forthwith ploughed. And Jehohanan and