Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-03-25

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critics OF the Bible for centuries.
There are many pugnacious souls In
every generation who are eager to store
up controversy between science and re-
ligion and bask in the notoriety that
they obtain. Truth is an entity and
must be the same regardless of the
source from which 1t is derived. When
ever there Is an apparent conflict be
tween truth derived from n study of
nature and that given by direct reyela-
tion of the Deity, it arises from a
wrongful Interpretation in one or both
of these realms. In no case was this
more thoroughly demonstrated than in
the iace of the trial that was staged
Mt Dayton, Tennessee, recently. The
attorney for the defense asked a noted
politician, who posed as an authority on
the Scriptures, IL he believed In the
story of Jonah and the Whale. The
lawyer, not knowing about whales,
thought he had scored n point and the
peerless commoner being equally un-
informed, was able TO put up only
very lame defense of the Biblical narra-
tive.
1t has been often put forward as an
objection by unbelievers that man
could not exist in whales stomach for
three days and resist the action of the
digestive fluids, II he did not perish for
the lack of air. Furthermore it was
claimed that If he did survive, it would
be unlikely that he would be elected
anywhere near land. The author, trou-
bled by these arguments, had been ac-
customed to regard the whole story as
q parable until he was fortunate
enough to find out about the structure
and habits of leviathan of the deep,
from a friend who spent five years at
whaling station in the Arctic Region.
The whale is n mammal which has
adapted itself to an aqueous environ
ment, its body having become fish
shaped and its appendages having de
fish. 1t breathes air with lungs, is
warm blooded, brings forth its young
alive, and suckles them from man.
mary glands. The whale, being an air
breather, must come to the surface
from time to time to replenish his sup
ply of oxygen. In order to provide
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dives he has in his head, wonderful
air storage arrangement. This air
chamber is development of the nasal
sinus, large cavity just posterior to
the nostrils in other mammals. but i'm
medately below the nostril of a whale.
Air Chamber Ia Feet
This air chamber in large whale is
about fourteen feet long, seven feet
wide and seven feet high. The bottom
of it is formed by the bones of the roof
OF the mouth, through which there is
an opening into the throat correspond
ing to the pharyny. This opening is
guarded by thick lips which can be
the mouth. This is large enough when
propped open with stick, in the case
of dead whale. easily to permit the
passage Of the body Of n man. My in
formant, who weighs 240 pounds,
climbed from the mouth of dead
whale into the air chamber and, stand
ing his full height, was able to touch
the top with broken oar. 1t is
popular misconception that whale,
when he comes to the surface, squlrts
out column Of water into the air
The so-called blowing of whale is
nothing more than the condensed moist
ure from his breath ms 1t comes in con-
tact with the cold ocean air. At no
time is there any water in its air cham