Yes, I concur on the caged fire arrow. That's what we found as well, and have a gorgeous sample purchased from Hector Cole as seen in the image below
http://www.hectorcoleironwork.com/images...20fire.gif
He states:
The head of this fire arrow is packed tight with "Tow‟ that has been soaked in tallow (mutton fat).
Tow is fine strands of Hemp that look like brown sheep's wool after it has been combed ready for
spinning. It was used by plumbers along with Boss White paste when making water tight joints
using threaded components. The Tow is lit just before firing making sure that it is well alight or it
will go out when the arrow leaves the bow. It glows incandescent as it flies through the air and
when it hits it creates a fire ball of exploding burning tallow.
2) Barbed fire arrow:-
Receipt 1:- This is from a friend in Germany. It is in two parts and is very similar to the Alnwick
fire arrow receipt.
Outer layer:-
88%S, 10.4%KaN03, 1.6%C
Inner powder:-
73.7%S, 83.5%KaN03, 2.8%C
Make a small line bag that is tied onto the arrowhead at one end and fill it with the inner powder.
Then tie the other end onto the head also. Next put the Outer layer mix in an old can and heat it
until it melts. Warning?? do this outside as it smells something shocking. This mix is then applied
to the line bag and allowed to dry.
To use, light the outer layer and wait until the inner layer starts to burn and then shoot the arrow.
Receipt 2:-
Inner layer is the same as No. 1
Outer layer:-
Pitch four parts, linseed oil one part, turpentine half part, sulphur one part, tar one
third part, tallow one part. This mix is melted and the bag coated as before remembering the
smell. When cold bore two holes in the bag, fill with fine gun powder and put a small peg in each
hole. When ready for shooting the pegs are taken out before lighting.
This is the receipt for the Alnwick fire arrow. This mixture comes from “The Complete Soldier” by
Thomas Smith 1628.
Powder bruised, two parts.
(Salt) peter (petre) in Roche (rock, or crystalline form) one part.
Peter (petre) in Meele (?) one part.
Sulpher in meele two parts.
Rozin roche (chrystals), three parts.
Turpentine, one part.
Linseed oyle, one part.
Verdegrease, 1/3rd part.
Bole armoniacke 1/3rd part. (an astringent earth from Armenia)
Bay (salt),1/3rd part. (Evaporated salt from the Bay of Biscay).
Colophonia 1/6th part. (Greek pitch formed from distillation of Turpentine in water).
“And if you think good, you may put thereto of Arsnick 1/8th part; then coate the same over with
this liquid mixture molten in a pan or coating pot (to wit)
Pitch, foure parts.
Linseed oyle one part.
Turpentine ½ part.
Sulphur one part.
Tarre 1/3rd part.
Tallow one part.
And as soone as this is cold, bore two holes in each of the same an inch deepe, with a sharpe iron
or bodkin, filling the same with fine bruised powder, putting in everie hole a little sticke of two or
three inches length, which are to be taken out when you would fire the same. This composition
will burn furiously.”
The words in brackets are the modern interpretations."
http://www.evado.co.uk/Hector%20Cole/PDFs/firearrow.pdf
So we got that far in the research and acquisition. I've also read the discussions you have on here on arrows as a whole, but again, and I totally see them being used in siege warfare on the war equipment, but there's no evidence of them being shot toward a group of soldiers at all from a fort top or anything? (probably some Hollywood imagery stuck in my brain), but how would that imagery be stuck in the mind of the Apostle Paul when Hollywood wasn't around then and he's addressing the individual soldier's armor?