"Though he had filled their houses with wealth. JOB Xxii. 15-20. It is, indeed, commonly believed, tnat the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was effected by a shower of fire (or lightning) and brimstone miraculously produced in the region of the air, and Gen. xix. 24. has been adduced in support of the opinion. But the words, The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, are susceptible of a very different interpretation: for, though lightning may be, (as it is in Scripture) with evident propriety, called fire from heaven, yet lightning can hardly be said to be rained. It is well known that in Scripture, every operation of nature is directly ascribed to God. All her diversified instruments are his servants, and what is performed by them is said to be done by himself. "The winds are his messengers; Earthquakes, storms, inundations, drought, famine, pestilence, and war, are uniformly represented as coming from the ruler of the universe. When, therefore, the combustible matter in question is declared to proceed from Jehovah, we are in like manner to understand the historian as referring the awful catastrophe immediately to God, as the avenger of iniquity; though, in bringing it about, he might, as in other instances, have availed himself of natural causes. From the geological notices contained in the Bible, relative to the neighbourhood of the devoted cities, it would appear that it abounded with inflammable substances: and the observations of a late intelligent traveller, corroborate the Scripture narrative in a most striking manner. M. Badhia (better known by his assumed name of Ali Bey,) in his way to Damascus, thus describes a volcanic desert traversed by him, which lies between the river Jordan and that city:-"The Phlegean fields, and all that can present an idea of volcanic destruction, form but a feeble image of the frightful country through which I passed. From the bridge of Jacob to Sassa, the whole ground is composed of nothing but lava, basaltes, and other volcanic productions: all is black, porous, or carious; it was like travelling in the infernal regions. Besides these productions, which cover the country, either in detached masses or in large strata, the surface of the ground is entirely covered with loose volcanic stones, from three 1 The bridge alluded to is known by the name of Cantara Yacoub, or Jacob's Bridge: it is of considerable antiquity, and consists of three pointed arches. The river is in this place about 64 feet wide, and does not appear to be very deep; its current is rapid and boisterous, and the water good, but warm. Travels of Ali Bey, vol. ii. pp. 261, 262. to four inches in circumference to a foot in diameter, all equally black, porous, or carious; as if they had just come out of the crater. But it is particularly at the approaches to Sassa, that the traveller meets with groups of crevices, and volcanic mounds, of so frightful a size that he is seized with horror, which is increased if he allows his imagination to wander to the period when these masses were hurled forth with violence from the bowels of the earth. There are evident signs that all this country was formerly filled with volcanoes, for we beheld several small craters in traversing the plain."1 From these facts, and from the geological notices occurring in the Scriptures respecting the devoted cities, it is highly probable that the plain in which they stood was at some earlier period subjected to volcanic revolutions. Nothing farther then was necessary, than to set on fire the bitumen, sulphur, &c., that was in the bowels of the earth, which ravaging with violent fury, an earthquake ensued, and vent being given to the subterraneous elements, a torrent of melted matter was poured forth, that, descending into the plain, carried destruction to its inhabitants, cities, villages, fields, and whatever came in its way. The quantities of sulphur, pumice, and ashes, poured by the volcano to an immense height in the air, and falling from that elevation, might, with strict propriety, be said to have been rained from heaven. In allusion to this catastrophe, God is said to rain on the wicked, hot ashes, fire, and brimstone. (Psal. xi. 6.) That an inundation of lava overtook those cities, besides the fiery sulphureous shower described by Moses, is stated in the most express terms, in the passage quoted from Job. Their inhabitants were arrested by its torrents. It surrounded their habitations, and cut off all way of escape, carried before it their substance, devoured their riches with its raging flames, and so completely laid waste the spot where they dwelt, that nothing now remained but a stream of melted matter. The same fact is obviously implied in the description of the circumstances connected with Lot's escape. Why was he prohibited from lingering in any part of the low land, if not because he would there be exposed to the pestilential volcanic effluvia and to the lava? And what reason can be assigned for his obtaining leave to stop in Zoar; but its lying at some distance from the spot where the lava began to act, as likewise on an elevation whence he could survey the approaching ruin, and retire before the stream reached that place? We accordingly find, that however desirous he was to stay there at 1 Travels of Ali Bey, vol. ii. p. 263. 2 Mr. Holm, in an account of the eruption of the Skaptà volcano in Iceland, quoted by Dr. Henderson, says, "The whole atmosphere was filled with sand, dust, and brimstone, so thick as to occasion a continual darkness. The pumice which fell on the villages being red hot, did considerable damage. Along with the pumice stones, there fell a great quantity of a dirty substance like pitch, rolled up sometimes in the form of small balls, and sometimes like rings or garlands. The falling of these hot substances was attended with great mischief, as they totally destroyed all manner of vegetation that they came near." Henderson's Iceland, vol. i. p. 152. first, he quitted it before night, for a still more elevated and safe retreat. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the MOUNTAIN, for he feared to dwell in Zoar. (Gen. xix. 30.) How natural is the incrustation of his wife on the same hypothesis? Remaining in a lower part of the valley, and looking with a wistful eye towards Sodom, she was surrounded, ere she was aware, by the lava, which rising and swelling, at length reached her, and (while the volcanic effluvia deprived1 her of life) incrustated her where she stood; so that being, as it were, embalmed by the salso-bituminous mass, she became a conspicuous beacon and admonitory example to future generations. The power of this asphaltic substance in preserving from corruption, is evident, from its being employed by the Egyptians for embalming their mummies. She is said to have been converted into a pillar of salt, on account of the quantity of that substance which appeared in the crust, and its abundance in those regions is notorious, both from sacred and profane history so much so, that the lake which now fills the caverns made by the earthquake, has, among other names, that of the "Salt Sea."3 In confirmation of the conflagration of the ground about Sodom and Gomorrah, we may cite the description in Deut. xxix. 22. All the land BURNING with brimstone and salt, LIKE THE OVERTHROW OF SODOM and GOMORRAH. Nor was the fire, thus kindled, extinguished for ages; but continued to send forth flames, smokę, bitumen, &c. in the first century of the Christian æra, as we learn from the testimony of Josephus. To these eruptions of flame the apostle Jude appears to allude in the seventh verse of his epistle : and antient geographers, as well as modern travellers, have attested the existence of volcanoes in this once highly favoured country. Thus, the Koran, adverting to the destruction of Sodom, says that a terrible storm from heaven assailed them, at sun-rise, and we turned the city upside down; and we rained on them stones of baked clay," that is, lava, and other volcanic matters. The oriental geographer Ebn Haukal, (who travelled in the tenth century,) says, The land of the tribe of Lot is called Aredz al Moukloubah (the land turned upside down). Neither corn, nor herbage, nor cattle, are found here; the ground is black; and stones are seen scattered about, which one would imagine to be the stones showered down on that wicked race."6 The late Mr. Volney states that the whole 1 Lot's wife is not the only person who has suffered by proximity to volcanic effluvia. The elder Pliny perished in this manner. See the account of his death in the epistles of his nephew, the younger Pliny, lib. vi. ep. 16. 2 Diod. Sic. Bib. Hist. lib. xix. c. 109. 3 Henderson's Iceland, vol. i. pp. 153, 154. 4 De Bell. Jud. lib. iv. c. 8. § 4. 5 Sale's translation of the Koran, p. 213. See also p. 184. 4to. edit. 6 Sir William Ouseley's Translation of the “Oriental Geography of Ebn Haukal." p. 46. London, 1800. 4to. south of Syria is volcanic ; and volcanic vestiges were traced by Mr. Buckingham, in the year 1816.2 7. But the greatest of all the calamities that ever visited this highly-favoured country, is the pestilential blast, by the Arabs termed the Sam wind, by the Persians, Samoun, by the Turks Simoom or Samiel, and by the prophet Jeremiah a dry wind of the high places in the wilderness. (Jer. iv. 11.) It blows in Persia, Arabia, and the deserts of Arabia, during the months of June, July, and August; in Nubia during March and April, and also in September, October, and November. It rarely lasts more than seven or eight minutes, but so poisonous are its effects, that it instantly suffocates those who are unfortunate enough to inhale it, particularly if it overtake them when standing upright. Thevenot mentions such a wind, which in 1658 suffocated twenty thousand men in one night; and another, which in 1655 suffocated four thousand persons. As the principal stream of this pestilential blast always moves in a line, about twenty yards in breadth, and twelve feet above the surface of the earth, travellers in the desert, when they perceive its approach, throw themselves on the ground, with their faces close to the burning sands, and wrap their heads in their robes, or in a piece of carpet, till the wind has passed over them. The least mischief which it produces is the drying up their skins of water, and thus exposing them to perish with thirst in the deserts. When this destructive wind advances, which it does with great rapidity, its approach is indicated by a redness in the air; and, when sufficiently near to admit of being observed, it appears like a haze, in colour resembling the purple part of the rainbow, but not so compressed or thick. When travellers are exposed to a second or third attack of this terrible blast, it produces a desperate kind of indifference for life, and an almost total prostration of strength. Camels and other animals instinctively perceive its approach, and bury their mouths and nostrils in the ground. The effects of this blast on the bodies of those whom it destroys are peculiar. At first 1 The following is Volney's description of the modern state of this district :— "The south of Syria, that is, the hollow through which the Jordan flows, is a country of volcanoes: the bituminous and sulpherous sources of the lake Asphaltites, the lava, the pumice stones thrown upon its banks, and the hot baths of Tabaria," (the antient Tiberias) "demonstrate that this valley has been the seat of a subterraneous fire, which is not yet extinguished. Clouds of smoke are often observed to issue from the lake, and new crevices to be formed upon its banks. If conjectures in such cases were not too liable to error, we might suspect that the whole valley has been formed only by a violent sinking of a country which formerly poured the Jordan into the Mediterranean. It appears certain, at least, that the catas trophe of five cities destroyed by fire, must have been occasioned by the irruption of a volcano then burning. Strabo expressly says, that the tradition of the inhabitants of the country (that is, of the Jews themselves) was, that formerly the valley of the lake was peopled by thirteen flourishing cities, and that they were swallowed up by a volcano.' (Geographia, lib. xvi. p. 1087. edit. Oxon.) This account seems to be confirmed by the quantities of ruins still found by travellers on the western border. These eruptions have long since ceased; but earthquakes, which usually succeed them, still continue to be felt at intervals in this country." Travels in Egypt and Syria, vol. i. pp. 281, 282. 2 Buckingham's Travels, pp. 443. 448. VOL. III. view, its victims appear to be asleep but if an arm or leg be smartly shaken or lifted up, it separates from the body, which soon after becomes black. In Persia, in the district of Dashtistan, a sam or simoom blew during the summer months, which so totally burnt up all the corn (then near its maturity), that no animal would eat a blade of it, or touch any of its grain. The image of corn blasted before it be grown up, used by the sacred historian in 2 Kings xix. 26., was most probably taken from this or some similar cause. The Psalmist evidently alludes (Psal. ciii. 15, 16.) to the desolating influence of the simoom, which was unquestionably the blast that destroyed the army of Sennacherib in one night. (2 Kings xix. 7. 35.) 1 Bruce's Travels, vol. vi. pp. 462, 463. 484. Harmer's Observations, vol. i. pp. 94-96. Sir R. K. Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, &c. vol. ii. p. 230. 2 Morier's Second Journey, p. 43. |