Attesting to the success of this method, Josephus states: “The darts that were thrown fell, and slided off without doing them any harm; so the soldiers undermined the wall, without being themselves hurt, and got all things ready for setting fire to the gate of the temple. ”
ואנשי הצבא יכלו הפעם לחתור תחת החומה, וכל רע לא אִנָה להם, וגם התכוננו לשלח אש בשער הר ־ הבית ” .‏