CHAPTER VIII.

The art of drawing lightning from the clouds — Medals and tradi- tions that indicate the existence of that art in antiquity — Dis- guised under the name of the worship of Jupiter Elicius and of Zeus Cataibates ; it was known to Numa and many others among the Ancients — The imitators of thunder made use of it — It may be traced from Prometheus ; it explains the fable of Salmonious : it was known to the Hebrews, and the construc- tion of the Temple of Jerusalem is a proof of this — Zoroaster made use of it to light the sacred fire, and operate in the ini- tiation of his followers : his experiments and miracles — If the Chaldeans possessed the secret, it was afterwards lost among them — There existed some traces of it in India in Ktesias' time — Wonders resembling those performed through this art, which however, may be otherwise explained. . 170 — 201
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