not uncommon in Asia Minor and elsewhere; in fact, that all the
phenomena were due to natural causes.

Ritter and others had shown that all noted features of the Dead Sea
and the surrounding country were to be found in various other lakes and
regions, to which no supernatural cause was ascribed among enlightened
men. Lynch, Van de Velde, Osborne, and others had revealed the fact that
the "pillar of salt" was frequently formed anew by the rains; and Lartet
and other geologists had given a final blow to the myths by making it
clear from the markings on the neighbouring rocks that, instead of a
sudden upheaval of the sea above the valley of Siddim, there had been a
gradual subsidence for ages.(442)

(442) For Seetzen, see his Reisen, edited by Kruse, Berlin, 1854-'59;
for the "Dead Sea Fruits," vol. ii, pp. 231 et seq.; for the appearance
of the sea, etc., p. 243, and elsewhere; for the Arab explanatory
transformation legends, vol. iii, pp. 7, 14, 17. As to similarity of the
"pillars of salt" to columns washed out by rains elsewhere, see Kruse's
commentary in vol. iv, p. 240; also Fallmerayer, vol. i, p. 197. For
Irby and Mangles, see work already cited. For Robinson, see his Biblical
Researches, London,1841; also his Later Biblical Researches, London,
1856. For Lynch, see his Narrative, London, 1849. For Gratz, see his
Schauplatz der Heyl. Schrift, pp. 186, 187. For De Saulcy, see his
Voyage autour de la Mer Morte, Paris, 1853, especially vol. i, p. 252,
and his journal of the early months of 1851, in vol. ii, comparing it
with his work of the same title published in 1858 in the Bibliotheque
Catholique de Voyages et du Romans, vol. i, pp. 78-81. For Lartet, see
his papers read before the Geographical Society at Paris; also citations
in Robinson; but, above all, his elaborate reports which form the
greater part of the second and third volumes of the monumental work
which bears the name of De Luynes, already cited. For exposures of De
Saulcey's credulity and errors, see Van de Velde, Syria and Palestine,
passim; also Canon Tristram's Land of Israel; also De Luynes, passim.

Even before all this evidence was in, a judicial decision had been
pronounced upon the whole question by an authority both Christian
and scientific, from whom there could be no appeal. During the second
quarter of the century Prof. Carl Ritter, of the University of Berlin,
began giving to the world those researches which have placed him at
th