SoitcamethatforovereighteenhundredyearsithasbeenthoughtnaturalandrighttostudyandcomparethemythsandlegendsarisingeastandwestandsouthandnorthofPalestinewitheachother，butneverwiththoseofPalestineitself；soitcamethatoneoftheregionsmostfruitfulinmaterialsforreverentthoughtandhealthfulcomparisonwasheldexemptfromtheunbiasedsearchfortruth；soitcamethat，inthenameoftruth，truthwascrippledforages。Whileobservation，andthoughtuponobservation，andtheorganizedknowledgeorsciencewhichresultsfromthese，progressedasregardedthemythsandlegendsofothercountries，andanatmospherewasthusproducedgivingpurerconceptionsoftheworldanditsgovernment，mythsofthatlittlegeographicalregionattheeasternendoftheMediterraneanretainedpossessionofthecivilizedworldintheiroriginalcrudeform，andhaveattimesdonemuchtothwartthenoblesteffortsofreligion，morality，andcivilization。
II。MEDIAEVALGROWTHOFTHEDEADSEALEGENDS。
Thehistoryofmyths，oftheirgrowthundertheearlierphasesofhumanthoughtandoftheirdeclineundermodernthinking，isoneofthemostinterestingandsuggestiveofhumanstudies；but，sincetotreatitasawholewouldrequirevolumes，Ishallselectonlyonesmallgroup，andoutofthismainlyasinglemyth——oneaboutwhichtherecannolongerbeanydispute——thegroupofmythsandlegendswhichgrewupontheshoreoftheDeadSea，andespeciallythatonewhichgrewuptoaccountforthesuccessivesaltcolumnswashedoutbytherainsatitssouthwesternextremity。
TheDeadSeaisaboutfiftymilesinlengthandtenmilesinwidth；itliesinaverydeepfissureextendingnorthandsouth，anditssurfaceisaboutthirteenhundredfeetbelowthatoftheMediterranean。Ithas，therefore，nooutlet，andisthereceptacleforthewatersofthewholesystemtowhichitbelongs，includingthosecollectedbytheSeaofGalileeandbroughtdownthencebytheriverJordan。
Itcertainly——oratleastthelargerpartofit——ranksgeologicallyamongtheoldestlakesonearth。Inabroadsensetheregionisvolcanic：Onitsshoreareevidencesofvolcanicaction，whichmustfromtheearliestperiodhavearousedwonderandfear，andstimulatedthemyth-makingtendencytoaccountforthem。Ontheeasternsideareimpressivemountainmasseswhichhavebeenthrownupfromoldvolcanicvents；mineralandhotspringsabound，someofthemspreadingsulphurousodours；
earthquakeshavebeenfrequent，andfromtimetotimethesehavecastupmassesofbitumen；concretionsofsulphurandlargeformationsofsaltconstantlyappear。
Thewaterwhichcomesfromthespringsoroozesthroughthesaltlayersuponitsshoresconstantlybringsinvarioussaltsinsolution，and，beingrapidlyevaporatedunderthehotsunanddrywind，therehasbeenleft，inthebedofthelake，astrongbrineheavilychargedwiththeusualchloridesandbromides——asortofbitter“motherliquor“Thisfluidhasbecomesodenseastohavearemarkablepowerofsupportingthehumanbody；itisofanacridandnauseatingbitterness；andbyordinaryeyesnoevidenceoflifeisseeninit。
Thusitwasthatinthelakeitself，andinitssurroundingshores，therewasenoughtomakethegenerationofexplanatorymythsonalargescaleinevitable。
Themainnorthernpartofthelakeisverydeep，theplummethavingshownanabyssofthirteenhundredfeet；butthesouthernendisshallowandinplacesmarshy。
ThesystemofwhichitformsapartshowsalikenesstothatinSouthAmericaofwhichthemountainlakeTiticacaisthemainfeature；asareceptacleforsurpluswaters，onlyrenderingthembyevaporation，itresemblestheCaspianandmanyotherseas；asasortofevaporatingdishfortheleachingsofsaltrock，andconsequentlyholdingabodyofwaterunfittosupportthehigherformsofanimallife，itresembles，amongothers，theMedianlakeofUrumiah；asadepositofbitumen，itresemblesthepitchlakesofTrinidad。[427]
[427]FormodernviewsoftheDeadSea，seetheRev。EdwardRobinson，D。D。，BiblicalResearches，variouseditions；Lynch’sExploringExpedition；DeSaulcy，VoyageautourdelaMerMorte；
Stanley’sPalestineandSyria；Schaff’sThroughBibleLands；andothertravellershereafterquoted。Forgoodphotogravures，showingthecharacterofthewholeregion，seetheatlasformingpartofDeLuynes’smonumentalVoyaged’Exploration。Forgeographicalsummaries，seeReclus，LaTerre，Paris，1870，pp。
832-834；Ritter，Erdkunde，volumesdevotedtoPalestineandespeciallyassupplementedinGage’stranslationwithadditions；
Reclus，NouvelleGeographieUniverselle，vol。ix，p。736，whereasmallmapisgivenpresentingthedifferenceindepthbetweenthetwoendsofthelake，ofwhichsomuchwasmadetheologicallybeforeLartet。Forstillbettermaps，seeDeSaulcy，andespeciallyDeLuynes，Voyaged’Explorationatlas。Forveryinterestingpanoramicviews，seelasteditionofCanonTristram’sLandofIsrael，p。635。Forthegeology，seeLartet，inhisreportstotheFrenchGeographicalSociety，andespeciallyinvol。iiiofDeLuynes’swork，wherethereisanadmirablegeologicalmapwithsections，etc。；alsoRitter；alsoSirJ。W。
Dawson’sEgyptandSyria，publishedbytheReligiousTractSociety；alsoRev。CunninghamGeikie，D。D。，GeologyofPalestine；andforpicturesshowingsaltformation，Tristram，asabove。Forthemeteorology，seeVignes，reporttoDeLuynes，pp。
65etseq。ForchemistryoftheDeadSea，seeasabove，andTerreil’sreport，giveninGage’sRitter，vol。iii，appendix2，andtablesinDeLuynes’sthirdvolume。ForzoologyoftheDeadSea，astoentireabsenceoflifeinit，seeallearliertravellers；astopresenceoflowerformsoflife，seeEhrenberg’smicroscopicexaminationsinGage’sRitter。SeealsoreportsinthirdvolumeofDeLuynes。ForbotanyoftheDeadSea，andespeciallyregarding“applesofSodom。”seeDr。Lortet’sLaSyrie，p。412；alsoReclus，NouvelleGeographie，vol。ix，p。
737；alsoforphotographicrepresentationsofthem，seeportfolioformingpartofDeLuynes’swork，plate27。ForStrabo’sveryperfectdescription，seehisGeog。，lib。xvi，cap。ii；alsoFallmerayer，Werke，pp。177，178。FornamesandpositionsofalargenumberofsaltlakesinvariouspartsoftheworldmoreorlessresemblingtheDeadSea，seeDeLuynes，vol。iii，pp。242etseq。ForTrinidad“pitchlakes。”foundbySirWalterRaleighin1595，seeLengegg，ElDorado，parti，p。103，andpartii，p。
101；alsoReclus，Ritter，etal。Forthegeneralsubject，seeSchenkel，Bibel-Lexikon，s。v。TodtesMeer，anexcellentsummery。
ThedescriptionoftheDeadSeainLenormant’sgreathistoryisutterlyunworthyofhim，andmusthavebeenthrowntogetherfromoldnotesafterhisdeath。Itisamazingtoseeinsuchaworktheoldsuperstitionsthatbirdsattemptingtoflyovertheseaaresufficated。SeeLenormant，Histoireanciennedel’Orient，editionof1888，vol。vi，p。112。FortheabsorptionandadoptionofforeignmythsandlegendsbytheJews，seeBaring-Gould，CuriousMythsoftheMiddleAges，p。390。FortheviewsofGreeksandRomans，seeespeciallyTacitus，Historiae，bookv，Pliny，andStrabo，inwhoseremarksarethegermsofmanyofthemediaevalmyths。Forverycuriousexamplesofthese，seeBaierus，DeExcidioSodomae，Halle，1690，passim。
Inallthisthereisnothingpresentinganyspecialdifficultytothemoderngeologistorgeographer；butwiththeearlydwellerinPalestinethecasewasverydifferent。Therocky，barrendesolationoftheDeadSearegionimpressedhimdeeply；henaturallyreasoneduponit；andthisimpressionandreasoningwefindstampedintothepagesofhissacredliterature，renderingthemallthemorepreciousasarevelationoftheearlierthoughtofmankind。ThelongcircumstantialaccountgiveninGenesis，itsapplicationinDeuteronomy，itsusebyAmos，byIsaiah，byJeremiah，byZephaniah，andbyEzekiel，thereferencestoitinthewritingsattributedtoSt。Paul，St。Peter，andSt。
Jude，intheApocalypse，and，aboveall，inmorethanoneutteranceoftheMasterhimself——allshowhowdeeplythesegeographicalfeaturesimpressedtheJewishmind。
Ataveryearlyperiod，mythsandlegends，manyandcircumstantial，grewuptoexplainfeaturesthensoincomprehensible。
AsthemythandlegendgrewupamongtheGreeksofarefusalofhospitalitytoZeusandHermesbythevillageinPhrygia，andtheconsequentsinkingofthatbeautifulregionwithitsinhabitantsbeneathalakeandmorass，sotherecamebeliefinasimilaroffencebythepeopleofthebeautifulvalleyofSiddim，andtheconsequentsinkingofthatvalleywithitsinhabitantsbeneaththewatersoftheDeadSea。VerysimilartotheaccountsofthesavingofPhilemonandBaucisarethoseofthesavingofLotandhisfamily。
Butthemyth-makingandmiracle-mongeringbynomeansceasedinancienttimes；theycontinuedtogrowthroughthemedievalandmodernperioduntiltheyhavequietlywitheredawayinthelightofmodernscientificinvestigation，leavingtousthereligiousandmoraltruthstheyinclose。
Itwouldbeinterestingtotracethiswholegroupofmyths：
theiroriginintimesprehistoric，theirdevelopmentinGreeceandRome，theirculminationduringtheagesoffaith，andtheirdisappearanceintheageofscience。Itwouldbeespeciallyinstructivetonotetheconscientiouseffortstoprolongtheirlifebymakingfutilecompromisesbetweenscienceandtheologyregardingthem；butIshallmentionthismaingrouponlyincidentally，confiningmyselfalmostentirelytotheoneabovenamed——themostremarkableofall——themythwhichgrewaboutthesaltpillarsofUsdum。
Iselectthismainlybecauseitinvolvesonlyelementaryprinciples，requiresnoabstrusereasoning，andbecauseallcontroversyregardingitisended。Thereiscertainlynownotheologianwithareputationtolosewhowillventuretorevivetheidearegardingitwhichwassanctionedforhundreds，nay，thousands，ofyearsbytheology，wasbasedonScripture，andwasheldbytheuniversalChurchuntilourowncentury。
ThemainfeatureofthesaltregionofUsdumisalowrangeofhillsnearthesouthwestcorneroftheDeadSea，extendinginasoutheasterlydirectionforaboutfivemiles，andmadeupmainlyofsaltrock。Thisrockissoftandfriable，and，undertheinfluenceoftheheavywinterrains，ithasbeen，withoutdoubt，fromaperiodlongbeforehumanhistory，asitisnow，cuteverintonewshapes，andespeciallyintopillarsorcolumns，whichsometimesbeararesemblancetothehumanform。
Aneminentclergymanwhovisitedthisspotrecentlyspeaksoftheappearanceofthissaltrangeasfollows：
“Frettedbyfitfulshowersandstorms，itsridgeisexceedinglyuneven，itssidescarvedoutandconstantlychanging；……andeachtravellermighthaveanewpillarofsalttowonderoveratintervalsofafewyears。”[428]
[428]Astothesubstanceofthe“pillars“or“statues“or“needles“ofsaltatUsdum，manytravellersspeakofitas“marlandsalt。”IrbyandMangles，intheirTravelsinEgypt，Nubia，Syria，andtheHolyLand，chap。vii，callit“saltandhardenedsand。”Thecitationastofrequentcarvingoutofnew“pillars“
isfromtheTravelsinPalestineoftheRev。H。F。Osborn，D。D。；
seealsoPalmer，DesertoftheExodus，vol。ii，pp。478，479。Forengravingsofthesaltpillaratdifferenttimes，comparethatgivenbyLynchin1848，whenitappearedasacolumnfortyfeethigh，withthatgivenbyPalmerasthefrontpiecetohisDesertoftheExodus，Cambridge，England，1871，whenitwassmalland“doesreallybearacuriousresemblancetoanArabwomanwithachilduponheshoulders“，andthisagainwiththepictureofthesaltformationatUsdumgivenbyCanonTristram，atwhosevisittherewasneither“pillar“nor“statue。”SeeTheLandofIsrael，byH。B。Tristram，D。D。，F。R。S。，London，1882，p。324。ForsimilarpillarsofsaltwashedoutfromthemudatCatalonia，seeLyell。
Fewthingscouldbemorecertainthanthat，intheindolentdream-lifeoftheEast，mythsandlegendswouldgrowuptoaccountforthisasforotherstrangeappearancesinallthatregion。ThequestionwhichareligiousOrientalputtohimselfinancienttimesatUsdumwassubstantiallythatwhichhisdescendantto-dayputstohimselfatKosseir。”Whyisthisregionthusblasted？”“Whencethesepillarsofsalt？”or“Whencetheseblocksofgranite？”“WhatarousedthevengeanceofJehovahorofAllahtoworkthesemiraclesofdesolation？”
And，justasMaximeDuCamprecordedtheanswerofthemodernShemiteatKosseir，sothecompilersoftheJewishsacredbooksrecordedtheansweroftheancientShemiteattheDeadSea；justasAllahatKosseirblastedthelandandtransformedthemelonsintoboulderswhichareseentothisday，soJehovahatUsdumblastedthelandandtransformedLot’swifeintoapillarofsalt，whichisseentothisday。