WALKING ON BURNING COALS, ETC. 319 



St. Jerome informs us, that the Rabbi Barchochebas, who 

 headed the Jews in their last revolt against Hadrian, made 

 them believe that he was the Messiah, by vomiting flames 

 from his mouth ; and at a later period, the Emperor Con- 

 stantius was thrown into a state of alarm when Valentinian 

 informed him that he had seen one of the body guards 

 breathing out fire and flames. We are not acquainted 

 with the exact methods by which these effects were pro- 

 duced ; but Florus informs us, that Eunus filled a per- 

 forated nut-shell with sulphur and fire, and having con- 

 cealed it in his mouth, he breathed gently through it 

 while he was speaking. This art is performed more 

 simply by the modern juggler. Having rolled together 

 some flax or hemp, so as to form a ball the size of a. 

 walnut, he sets it on fire, and allows it to burn till it is 

 nearly consumed : he then rolls round it while burning 

 some additional flax, and by these means the fire may be 

 retained in it for a considerable time. At the commence- 

 ment of his exhibition he introduces the ball into his 

 mouth, and while he breathes through it the fire is revived, 

 and a number of burning sparks are projected from his 

 mouth. These sparks are too feeble to do any harm, pro- 

 vided he inhales the air through his nostrils. 



The kindred art of walking on burning coals or red- 

 hot iron belongs to the same antiquity. The priestesses 

 of Diana at Castabala in Cappadocia were accustomed, 

 according to Strabo, to walk over burning coals ; and at 

 the annual festival, which was held in the temple of 

 Apollo on Mount Soracte in Etruria, the Hirpi inarched 

 over burning coals, and on this account they were exempted 

 from military service, and received other privileges from 

 the Roman Senate. This power of resisting fire was 

 ascribed even by Varro to the use of some liniment with 

 which they anointed the soles of their feet. 



Of the same character was the art of holding red-hot 



