Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-21
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
NEW BOOK.

THE BIBLE LANDS, IN 1900 and 1901. lnciudlng an
account the discovery of the sites OF SoDoM and Co
NoRRAH. BY T. De SAULcY, member Of the French
Institute. Edited by Count EDWARD DE WARREN. New
edition. in two volumes Philadelphia: PARRY and
MCMILLAN; 1854. limo. PIP. 462 and 500. For sale
IN Washington at the Bookstore Of FRASCK TAYLOR,
Pennsylvania avenue.
Amidst the flood Of books in every department Of
light literature which the untirng enterprise Of pub
shers copiousy pouring forth from the press it is
Of congatuation to the studentwho reads for the
see of acquiring information, and for whom the finest
Fights of fancy and the brilliant ctions of genius
ossess little charm, that he occasionally pick up
crk like the present. from which he may gather useful
additions his stock Of knowledge, find something to
uppy lost link in the chain of history, and perhaps
some discoveries that may resolve important doubts IN
his archaeological researches The author of this valua
Bile narrative has been fortunate enough to linda transa
csc who thoroughly understood him, and who has given
evidence Of his familiarity with quite many languages
living and dead This is advantage in which the pub
Ec are always much interested the author, but one
which unhappily neither be said always to enjoy.
some of the most valuable works Of French and German
authors are totally lost the English reader from the
fitness of those who undertake to translate them.
Mr. de Saulcy perhaps of the most rapid ira
seers that attempted to explore and map out re-
en of country like that around the Dead Sea- Offering at
every step some interesting memorial of paleoc times
ar so minuey graphic in describing the various appear
themselves he podded through the
Asphaltic desert No sand hill, ruin remarkable
within view of his path escaped his close attentions
aud when untoward circumstances interviewed to prevent
his making afu survey the localities SO well defined
render their Identification easy to future travellers
wAo may be disposed to follow his track.
Ii has been, until comparatively recent period the
general belief of biblical scholars that the destruction Of
the cities of the Pentapos accomplished by the sud-
dsu Eruption of the Lake Asphattes Dead Sea, and
shat their ruins still submerged and therefore un-
siscovsra5le But profound study of the scrptu-
raj which refer to their fate and more accurate
examination Of the plain which they situated
arhwest and southwest of the Lake. have created doubts
m to the correctness of their common beef and the sites
d some of the rebeious cities supposed to have been
50 clearly identified by travellers learned in the Hebrew
ard Arabic languages and in biblical Topography that
now believe, generally conceded that even sup
osng them have been submerged by the sudden rise
nj the waters Of the Dead Sea- they left again dry
Eaod by the Of the This opinion is power
Ey supported by the texts and arguments as well as by
she facts adiuced by Mr. de Saulcy and as far as the
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are the sites
md ruins Of which he claims be the first dscoyerer
ve confess cannot perceive single ground of doubt
Their present Arabic correspond SO closely with
aae Hebrew nomenclature of the Bible, and their locai
ties ree so well with the several texts from which their
topography is to be inferred that are disposed to
fhnk our authors claim to the merit of discovery suh-
s,iently established to satisfy the most hypercrcal OBJ
Escto The fact that Sodom and Gomorrah are so FREE
yusny mentioned together particularly in the New Tes
lament is we believe almost the only one whfh could
have led the Of their supposed Typographical con-
xguity. Mr. de saucy proves to entire conviction
saat the former situated at the southwestern ex-
l.Al AZ arpI
extremity at distance from each other of about seven
sy Eve English miles
Both the author and his ransator-who is also in ma
nv instances his communicative wasted great deal
lning in the frutess endeayor to determines whahap
ese river Jordan the real only the meaphorical
boundary between the lands of Moab and Canaan The
ahor understanding the account given in the last chap
of the Book of Deuteronomy, of the death OF Moses in
te former sense naturally looks for the Mount Psgah
ro the top Of which Moses permitted to see the land
Ut Canaan which had been promised to the seed Of Abra
aaa but expressly forbidden to go hither the
eastern or left bank of the Jordan while the translator
IN very learned commentary the texts con-
tends that the confines of Moab extended westward be-
yand the river far the eastern slope foot Of the
mountainous range in the neghborhood Of Jericho tits
certain that Mr. de Saulcy no mountain or other
high place east Of the Jordan from the top Of which the
romised land might be discerned throughout the whole
western coast of the Asphaltc Lake. whereas the side
af Jericho there such mountain with Arabic name
nearly resembling that Of Pisgah, Fesgah as it is
sometimes called that he is brought to the conclusion
chat the last chapter of Deuteronomy has been
Ey translated If Moses really crossed the Jordan in
der reach Mount Psgah it to be very clear that
ne took of his followers with him. Joshua and the
whole host Of Israel must have been left behind the
bank Of the Jordan think must appear evil
dent from the first the 1s chapter Of Joshua
L. "Now after the death of Noses the servant Of the
Lord it pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua,
ksson of Nun, Mosess minister, saying q Moses my SER
want dead therefore arise go this Jordan thou
mad all this people, the land which do give 10 them
to the children of Israeli The translator Of Mr. de
aucy jumps this difficulty by saying that the phrase
@ @ Jordan has evidently here Verse 81 chap iii. Deu-
Seronomy] the metaphorical meaning Of this limit, be-
the real limit, Mount Psgah, and the Ashdoth
groots Of the mounain is to be for him Jordan which
lac is allowed to cross. We confess salts
Fed with this reasoning and prefer think with II
thor that the limit of Moab is still unresolved ques-
ton Of biblical geography.
We had marked numerous passages with the intention
Of copying them for the entertainment Of readers but
having extended our own remarks to great length
we can spare room only for portion Of them. Having
5dentfed the site of the ancient Sodom Of the cities
OF the Panapolis that had incurred the anger Of the
Lord the author goes describe the salt mountain II
-to; l;ato, 49,, -