Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-26

Der Of the London Atheneum, SAYS
of the sites of these two lost cities:
wish it understood that | DO
not propose to conEoyert the the
ory of any one with regard to this
VeKed question, but simply to state
as briefly as possible some of the
results of my personal and careful
observations upon the ground dnr-
ing the months Of March and April,
1876. 1t is nowhere stated in the
Bible that these cities were sub
merged, and their sites are not to
be looked for at the bottom of the
Dead Sea. Again, it is now estab-
lished beyond dispute, that the sur
face of the Dead SGa was meyer less
than it is at present. During thp
past ages the surface has gradually
contracted to its present limits.
Consequently the theory that the
shallow water south of the penin-
sula or El Lisan covers the sites of
those cities has no foundation. At
the southern end Of the sea there is
a great salt marsh, and only q mar
row belt of fertile land between it
and the mountains. Besides, at
| that end there are no tells upon
which cities could have been built,
and only very insignificant ruins.
Five sites only are required and at
the north end of the sea there is IL
vast fertile plain, with four tells
| (without counting Tel Nimri)
upon which are ruins, and one
place besides which has 40 marlKed
tel, but where there are ruins, i, G,
Suwelmeb, or Beth JeSbimoth,
The Bible nowhere states that
the sites Of these cities were
destroyed; indeed, one of the
doomed cities, which was close to
the others, was saved, It'll reason
, able to suppose that these sltes Wepe
afterward built upon, just Rs in the
case of a burned city in modern
times men do not hesitate to build
again upon that site, provided it is
on eligible one. In the time of
Moses and Joshua, which was five
centuries nearly after the time OF
!, Lot, we find cities upon this plain
whose sites we are able to identify
beyond any reasonable doubt. And
it is perfectly natural and legiti-
! mate to suppose that these sites had
been occupied from the remotesl
times. At the period just referred
to the most southern Of these cities
was Beth Jeshimoth, which means
r house Of desolation, to which the
present Arabic name, "Suwelme, y
]. e., dry land, desolate place, cor.
: responds very nearly. But if these
names are taken as significant OF
!. the character of the place, they are
far from being appropriate hence,
& | would suggest that they may
2 haye retained during thirty and
, forty centuries the impression pro
duced upon the national mind by
$ the great catastrophe, But where
b ever Sodom or Gomorrah are finally
3 located, five sites must be provided
, for, four of which shall represent
3 2 tho four cities that were destroyed
d and one which must be in the same
plain with the rest and very neal
' them, and also nearer the mountain
J, than the Others, to represent tn,
: @little city" to which Lot fled fol
temporary refuge. The fact tba
one Hebrew word has been sub
is stituted for another identified Will
. il in meaning. G., Katan foI
Zoar-ought not to be urged as al
objection to identifying Tel Ektanr
. with the site of the "ittle city,
provided all the other Circum
, stances of the case point to it as thO
proper one, II this tel is taken a
: zoar, it will make ineligible whar
is said of Lot when he stood will
: Abraham on a hill near Bethel, ant
! looked down the Jordan valley to
ward the Dead Sea. (Gen. xii, 10,
As this verse is rendered in on
English Bible, the meaning is no
very clear; but it will become so i
:, one will read all the middle portion
Of the verse as a parenthesis, a.
N fnllnrrr. llAnh 1 ct lifAnl ~, liz n,rn