The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-10-24


Magazine. Answers.
The essential truth of the Bible Is
not dependent upon the accuracy of
its history. and there are many pas
sages in the Sacred Writings which
must be interpreted In symbolic
rather than literal sense.
1t is remarkable, however. how
Old Testament history. after being
labeled as Legendary" or, at best.
exaggerated" has recently been con
firmed as Ii result of independent re-
search.
For instance, a little while ago.
destructive critics simply laughed at
the story of the Flood, and at such
incidents as the crossing of Jordan
dryshod and the collapse of the walls
of Jericho. But today excavations
on ancient sites in Palestine, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and elsewhere have
indicated the Bible narrative com
pletely. even on the points most seri-
ously challenged.
To take an example, 1t used to be
urged that Abraham must have been
merely nomad. quite nnlettered.
and utterly incapable Of the acts and
words and vision attributed to him.
We now know, from discoveries at
Ur of the Chaldees, that. as youth
In that city. The was a member of
community enjoying a high degree
of civilization. The land of Ur had
great cities. settled laws, state re-
ligion. a thriving commerce, schools
and monasteries and libraries.
Springing as he did from an In
fluentlal family, Abraham would par
take of the culture and learning of
Ur. In short. the circumstances Of
place and time as we now know
them. are not opposed to the Bible
narrative.
But let us see what modern meth
DDS of investigation have revealed
about specific incidents. Take the
Flood, upon which so much scorn has
been cast. During the winter of
1929, the excavators of Ur In
Babylonia came upon stratum of
alluvial deposit which made clear
break In the succession of civiliza-
lions occupying that site. They came
to the conclusion that 1t could only
be explained by flood Of great ex-
tent and duration. occurring about
5000 B. G. or earlier.
So. quite apart from the account
In Genesis, and the one on the Baby
lonian tablets In the British museum.
1t would appear that the account of
a great flood, which destroyed cities
and people over vast region, Is not
legend but history.
The very existence OF Sodom and
Gomorrah, which the Bible tells us
were destroyed In Abraham's time,
has been doubted, yet, only last year.
an airman flying over the Dead sea
saw through the crystalline water
what appeared to be extensive ruins.
But other ruins have been found,
covered with ashes, In fhe neighbor-
hood of the Dead sea.
We learn from the Bible that Lot,
Abraham's nephew, chose the valley
of Sodom because OF Its extreme fer
tllity. Today there Is. perhaps, no
more desolate region.
What happened to 1t? In the heav-
lily bltuminous soil there probably
occurred one of those terrible ex-
plosIons and conflagrations which
have been noted In the similar geo
logical formations of the oil districts
of North America.
In such soil vast reservoirs OF oil
and accumulations OF gas occur.
These may suddenly be released
either by their own pressure or by
earthquake. The gas explodes and
filings up masses of oil which return
In a fiery rain which will go on
blazing even when 1t falls on water.
Saline mud may also be elected,
and these things combined render a
fertile land utterly barren. Such a
phenomenon would account for all
the statements In the graphic Bible
narrative.
Now turn to Joshua 3:14-17 In the
Revised Version, In which Is related
how Israel crossed the Jordan dry.