Volume I Part 20 (1/2)
[2]: Young's Centaur not fabulous, p. 61.
[3]: Sir William Temple's Gardens of Epicurus. Horne's Discourses, vol. I.
[4]: This subject is more fully ill.u.s.trated in the Essay prefixed to the second volume of this work.
[5]: Dr. Johnson.
[6]: Paley's Moral Philosophy, vol. i. p. 316, 8vo.
[7]: SAURIN, Discours historiques, critiques, theologiques, et moraux, sur les Evenemens le plus memorables du Vieux et du Nouveau Testament. Tom. I.
p. 41-43. 8vo.
[8]: The following quotation is ill.u.s.trative of this circ.u.mstance: ”At ten minutes after ten in the morning, we had in view (says Dr. Chandler) several fine bays, and a plain full of booths, with the Turcomans sitting by the doors, under sheds resembling porticos; or by shady trees, surrounded with flocks of goats.” Harmer's Observations, vol. i. p. 132.
[9]: Fleury's Manners of the ancient Israelites.
[10]: Newton's Diss. on the Prophecies, vol. i. p. 34--36.
[11]: The ancient authors, Tacitus, Pliny, Diodorus Siculus, and others, furnish abundant testimony in undesigned confirmation of the scriptural account. The following quotation is from Strabo: ”There are many indications that fire has been over this country; for, about Ma.s.sada, they show rough and scorched rocks and caverns, in many places eaten in; and the earth reduced to ashes, and drops of pitch distilling from the rocks and hot streams, offensive afar off, and habitations overthrown; which render credible some reports among the inhabitants, that there were formerly thirteen cities on that spot, the princ.i.p.al of which was Sodom, so extensive, as to be sixty furlongs in circ.u.mference, but that by earthquakes, and by an eruption of fire, and by hot and bituminous waters, it became a lake as it now is, the rocks were consumed, some of the cities were swallowed up, and others abandoned by those of the inhabitants who were able to escape.” _Lib xii_
Tacitus states, that the traces of fire were visible in his time ”At no great distance are those fields which, as it is said, were formerly fruitful, and covered with great cities, till they were consumed by lightning, the vestiges of which remain in the parched appearance of the country, which has lost its fertility.” _Hist lib v_
A modern traveller, who was recently an eyewitness of the scene, is particularly ent.i.tled to be heard on this interesting subject, even at the risk of extending this note to a disproportionate length: ”The Dead Sea below, upon our left, appealed so near to us, that we thought we could have rode thither in a very short s.p.a.ce of time. Still nearer stood a mountain upon its western sh.o.r.e, resembling in its form the cone of Vesuvius, and having also a crater upon its top which was plainly discernible.
”The distance, however, is much greater than it appears to be; the magnitude of the objects beheld in this fine prospect, causing them to appear less remote than they really are. The atmosphere was remarkably clear and serene; but we saw none of those clouds of smoke which, by some writers, are said to exhale from the surface of the Lake Asphalt.i.tes, nor from any neighbouring mountain. Every thing about it was, in the highest degree, grand and awful. Its desolate, although majestic features, are well suited to the tales related concerning it by the inhabitants of the country, who all speak of it with terror, seeming to shrink from the narrative of its deceitful allurements and deadly influence. 'Beautiful fruit,' say they, 'grows upon its sh.o.r.es, which is no sooner touched, than it becomes dust and bitter ashes.' In addition to its physical horrors, the region around is said to be more perilous, owing to the ferocious tribes wandering upon the sh.o.r.es of the lake, than any other part of the Holy Land.” _Clarke's Travels_, part ii. sect. i. p. 614.
[12]: The design of this work being rather practical than critical, the author conceives it generally proper to avoid subjects of doubtful disputation; and rather, in particular cases, to give the _result_ of his inquiries, than to detail the process by which it had been obtained.
On this account, he has forborne to introduce the different notions that have prevailed among the learned respecting the real nature of the punishment inflicted upon the wife of Lot, but has simply stated what is the most common, and, upon the whole, the most satisfactory opinion. It seems conformable to the words of the historian to suppose a _real conversion into a pillar of salt_, and not that Lot's wife was merely _smitten dead upon the spot_. If further information be wished, the reader is particularly referred to a French work of well-merited celebrity, and which contains on this and many subjects of Biblical criticism, much valuable and curious information--Saurin, Discours historiques, critiques, theologiques, et moraux, sur les Evenemens les plus memorables du Vieux et du Nouveau Testament. Tom, i.
[13]: This appears to have been the ancient mode of concluding an agreement, or solemn covenant. Josephus says, that if two persons bound themselves mutually by an oath, they put their hand upon each other's thigh. Grotius states, that anciently they wore the sword upon the thigh, so that to swear by putting the hand upon the thigh, was intimating, ”I am willing to be pierced through by this sword if I break my promise.”
[14]: ”Sir J. Chardin observed this difference in the East between wells of living water, and reservoirs of rain water; that these last have frequently, especially in the Indies, a flight of steps down into the water, that as the water diminishes, people may still take it up with their hands, whereas he hardly ever observed a well furnished with those steps through all the East. He concludes from this circ.u.mstance, that the place from whence Rebekah took up water was a reservoir of rain water.
This is the account that he gives us in his sixth MS. volume, and it explains very clearly what is meant by Rebekah's _going down_ to the well, Gen. xxiv. 16.” HARMER'S Observations, vol. ii. p. 184, 185, _note_.
[15]: HENRY in loc.
[16]: ”We do not find that their (the Israelites') marriages were attended with any religious ceremony, except the prayers of the father of the family and the standers by, to entreat the blessing of G.o.d: we have examples of it in the marriage of Rebekah with Isaac, of Ruth with Boaz, and of Sara with Tobias. We do not see that there were any sacrifices offered upon the occasion, or that they went to the temple, or sent for the priests; all was transacted betwixt the relations and friends, so that it was no move than a civil contract.” _Fleury's Manners of the ancient Israelite_, Part ii. chap. 10.
[17]: Most commentators attribute a higher principle to the partiality of Rebekah; they imagine that it was founded upon the prophecies, choosing him whom the Lord had chosen: but I can perceive no good reason for this opinion.
[18]: ”For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and _Miriam_.” Mic. vi. 4.
[19]: Hieron, in Trad. Heb. ad 1 Kings 3. Calmet's Preface to Ruth, and Ch.
iv. 22.
[20]: Gray's Key to the Old Testament.
[21]: Comp. HARMER'S Observations, vol. i. p. 78, 79.
[22]: There is something inimitably beautiful in this ancient practice, and in language of their mutual address, which is preserved in the inspired narrative, ”And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.” Ch. ii. 4.