The Jewish historian Josephus, who both fought in the Judean revolt against Rome of 66-70 CE and thereafter became its most important historian, describes a bloody battle that culminated with Roman legionaries breaking through the walls of Jerusalem, allowing them to take the city and destroy the Second Temple. A recent excavation has uncovered evidence supporting his account. Gavin Rabinowitz writes:
[T]he archaeologists found the remains of a tower surrounded by scores of stones and boulders fired by Roman catapults at the Jewish forces guarding the wall. . . .
“This is fascinating testimony to the intensive bombardment by the Roman army, led by Titus, on its way to conquering the city and destroying the Second Temple,” the [archaeologists] said. “The bombardment was intended to attack the sentries guarding the wall and provide cover for the Roman forces so they could approach the wall with battering rams and thereby breach the city’s defenses.” . . .
The part of the wall that was breached was known as the Third Wall. . . . According to accounts by Josephus, this part of the wall was designed to protect a new quarter of the city that developed outside the other two existing walls. For much of the 20th century, scholars have been debating the route of this Third Wall.
Read more on Times of Israel: http://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-find-battle-site-where-romans-breached-jerusalem-walls