CHAMARIM, a word which occurs in several places of the Hebrew bible, and is generally translated the priests of the idols, or the priests clothed in black, because chamar signifies "black," or "blackness." St Jerom in the second book of Kings†, renders it aruspices. † 2 Kings xxiii. 5. In Hosea and Zephaniah‡, he translates it editui or church-wardens. But the best commentators are of opinion, that by this word we are to understand the priests of the false gods, and in particular the worshippers of fire; because they were, as they say, dressed in black; or perhaps the Hebrews gave them this name in derision, because as they were continually employed in taking care about the fewel, and keeping up the fire, they were always as black as smiths or colliers. We find priests, among those of Isis, called melanephoroi, that is to say, that wear black; but whether this may be by reason of their dressing in black, or whether it were because they wore a certain shining black veil in the processions of this goddess, is not certain. Camar, in Arabic, signifies the "moon." Isis is the same deity. Grotius thinks the Roman priests, called camilli, came from the Hebrew chamarim. Those among the heathens who sacrificed to the infernal gods were dressed in black.