He retired to his camp and in a short time soldiers appeared with
tape, stakes, sledges and spades and laid out an immense circle, all
but compassing the great city of Jerusalem.
The Maccabee saw all this. He stood on the wall above the roar and
frenzy and looked across bleached stretches of sunny, rocky earth
toward the orderly ranks of soldiers, the simple business, the
tranquil speed of Rome making war, and understood that peaceful
despatch as deadly.
He saw the young general ride down to this circle, dismount and,
catching a spade from the nearest legionary, drive it into the earth.
When he tossed out the first clay, each of the men in the visible
segment of that great cordon struck his implement into the ground. And
even as the Maccabee watched, he saw grow up under his eyes a wall!
He understood. Titus was walling against a wall; turning upon the Jews
that same thing which they had reared against him. As the Maccabee
stood gazing transfixed at this grim work, he heard beside him an old
voice say, with terrible conviction: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not!... For the days shall come upon thee, that
thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round,
and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the
ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee
one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy
visitation."
The Maccabee, shaken with the culmination of Rome's resolution and
afraid in spite of himself, whirled angrily upon that voice speaking
doom at his side. There in the old ragged tunic bound about him with
rope, stood the old man he had rescued and had sheltered persistently
for many days.
The old man faced the young man's rage with supernatural composure and
strength. With clenched hands, the Maccabee stood away from him and
felt that he threatened with his fists a hoary citadel that armies had
beaten themselves against in vain.
The Maccabee did not speak to his old pensioner. He felt the futility
of words against this thing which seemed to be a revelation, denying
absolutely all of his ambitions. He dropped from his position and,
pushing his way through the distress upon the city, turned toward the
house of Amaryllis. It was a climacteric hour, when men should look
well to the protection of all that was near and dear to them.
When he was gone a strange, bent figure with long white hair and a
gray distorted face came from the shadow of one of the towers and
plucked the old Christian's tunic. The Christian turned and seeing who
stood beside him said with intense surety in his tones: "It is proven. Accept the Lord Jesus while it is time, my son, for
behold the hour of the last day of this city is fulfilled!"