The defenders at Judea were so depleted that the arrival of a contingent of two thousand men, even if they were younger and not trained, was a relief. This should tell us even more of the difficult conditions under which they were laboring, if such untrained, unseasoned troops were the cause of “great hopes and much joy.”
The last information that we have that tells us of the dire circumstances of the city is the statement that they were willing to defend this location or die trying. They realized that they were a key to the defense of the capital, and were willing to give all for the defense of that central point.