Year: 1879

A question of great interest Is, why
the Dead Sea, in receiving the constant
flow of water from the Jordan, does
not rise and cover Its whole valley,
even up TO the foot of the HermOn !?
The usual answer is, that the evapora-
ton is equal to the influx. To me 1t is
hardly ereditable that a surface Of less
than sixteen miles square, il kept at
the boiling degree, could convert all
the water flowing in from the Jordan
and other rivers into vapor. The Dead
Sea is very deep-at some points nearly
l 300 feet-and it is strongly suspected
that there are assures, that have not
been fathomed, that may even connect
with the sea south or west. But if this
were so. 1t is said that the water must
stand at the level of connecting seas.
The answer is that the water of the
Dead Sea, surrounded as IL is by vast
beds of salt aud other soluble matter, is
water of other seas; and, as il fiows al
way, toward these seas, and Eever re-
ceives from them nor mixes with their
water in its own bed, the elevation of
each must be conversely, as are their
specific gravities. One difficulty in the
way of accounting for the preservation
of the level of the Dead Sea, at the
mouth of the Jordan, L. that the influx
of water Is greatest when evaporation,
in winter, is least. Though rise of
the Dead Sea occurs in winter, ii does
not seem sufficient TO account for the
increase of water. Ii there is an outlet,
and it rises at any point up 10 the level
OF the surface of the sea, the rise of the
sea would I've limited, as are the waters
of any river above its falls. This limI-
tation is as reasonable As If the waters
of the Dead Sea came TO the surface
again after passing adjacent mount
aims, provided there was, though there
is nor. land As low as the sea. The
Dead Sea came into existence, IA is
believed. by volcanic action, by an
eruption of fire from the bowels of the
earth. Sodom and Gomorrah were des-
troyed. it : said in the Scripture, ''by
a rain of fire and birthstone from the
Lord out of heaven" The fiery vapor
of birthstone. salt and other substances,
so abundant still even at the surface.
were first shot up in the heavens, and
then fell upon the devoted cities. As |
visited Pompeii and Herculaneum and
their excavations, had no hesitation
in receiving the prevailing theory of
their destruction. Hercuianeum was
submerged by a flow of hot lava rolling
down the side of Vesuvius, while Pom
peii was covered by rain of red-hot
pumice-stone. God rained it on the
wicked city from heaven; but it first
shot up high from the seething caul-
dron of Vesuvius, and Il soon as the
wind carried it outside of the fiery
force that sent it upward, il began 10
cool. condense and fail, and Pompeii
was soon buried ont of sight, in grave
of fire. 1t i not necessary, in order 10
DtlleNe lnal HIt anu Diihi>t'he Ncic
rained from heaven, TO believe that
God made these elements of destruction
out of nothing, away up in the heaven
above. for this would not even be true
if the destruction had been by electrici-
Is or n shower of fiery meteOrs. Ii was
not miracle, in the sense that Jesus
turned water into VINE at Cana, but an
extraordinary prOvidenti;l control of
the workings of Nature, and a special
coincidence. by which physical laws
were used for the punishment Of the
wicked ut the time when the cup of
their iniquities was full. Such special
pIovidenees are equally wonderful,
whether in suspension or control and
direction of the laws of Nature.