A small quantity of the water of the Dead Sea, lately brought to Britain by Mr Gordon of Clunie, has been analysed by Dr Marcet. It was perfectly transparent, and deposited no crystals on standing in close vessels. Its taste was peculiarly bitter, saline, and pungent. The specific gravity was ascertained to be 1.211, which is somewhat less than what had been found by Lavoisier, being 1.240 in a portion submitted to his examination. From different experiments in the analysis which we refer to, the result proved the contents of 100 grams of water to be, Whence it appears that this water contains about one fourth its weight of salts in a state of perfect desicca tion : but if these salts be desiccated only at the tempera ture of 180°, they will amount to 41 per cent. of the wa ter. Experiments on the water of the river Jordan seemed to indicate, that it may be the source of the saline ingredients contained in the Dead Sea, or the same source of impregnation may be common to both.
The Dead Sea is said in sacred writ to have arisen from the exercise of divine wrath against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their unexampled iniquity. Five cities, all governed by kings, were involved in the general destruction then overwhelming the fertile vale of Siddim, where they stood. Abiding by the words of the inspired historian, however, we can hardly admit that each city was the metropolis of a nation, and each king the head of a great people ; for many other kings and cities, according to various passages of the books of Noses, and elsewhere, stood in the immediate vicinity, and in regions of very limited extent. Some philosophers have conjectured that Sodom and Gomorrah were de stroyed by lightning, having set fire to the bituminous substances with which the place now judged to be their site abounds. It is far from improbable that the Dead Sea has originated in some volcanic eruption, or great convulsion of the earth. This is not without example ; land has been absorbed and replaced by water ; and, during the last century, entire islands arose in different seas. Even within these few months, a small island near the Cape of Good Hope is said to have disappeared.
The neighbourhood, independent of sulphur, bitumen, and hot springs, abounds with lavas, pumice stone, and other volcanic productions ; and although eruptions have long since ceased, earthquakes are still common in Syria and Palestine. Even now, smoke is said to ascend oc casionally from the lake, and new fissures to take place in its banks. Strabo, who lived 1800 years ago, relates, that there was then a tradition among the inhabitants of the country, that the valley at present occupied by the lake formerly contained thirteen flourishing cities, which were all destroyed by fire and swallowed up : and to this opinion he evidently assents, from his citing the vol canic appearances of calcined stones, ashes, bituminous substances, hot fountains, and also the ruins every where to be seen. It is certain, that on the western banks,
many ruins to this day remain, and several persons have - thought that they might even be discovered under the waters, especially at seasons when low. Mr Maundrel, who was by no means a credulous traveller, mentions that two persons of judgment and probity in Jerusalem, assured him of their having actually seen ruins so near the shore, that the waters being low, they approached them along with some Frenchmen, and found pillars, as also other remnants of edifices. We do not understand that any traveller of undoubted credibility advances, that he has himself seen such ruins, nor do we know that the peculiar qualities of the water are favourable to the pre servation of stone.
A general belief has long prevailed with regard to the noxious vapours arising from or near the Dead Sea; the Essenes of old, according to Pliny, retired to the west beyond their reach. The specific gravity of the water likewise attracted attention many centuries ago. The author just referred to, alludes to the understanding of that period, that no animal would be drowned in it ; and Josephus relates, that the emperor Vespasian or dered some of his people to be cast into a deep part of the sea with their hands bound behind them, yet they continued floating there. Strabo likewise speaks of men being buoyed up to the surface whenever they had waded as deep as the navel. Its uncommon specific gravity is indubitable, exceeding, as we have seen, that of all other water known. Whether the account of Josephus be true or not, it is certain that the water of the Dead Sea is extremely favourable to swimming ; " though," as the Abbe Maria observes, " it is equally certain, that one who cannot swim may be drowned there as elsewhere." Maundrel and Pococke both pro ved the fact ; the former on experiment controverts the assertion of Strabo.
Here it was, according to the testimony of the sacred historians, that Lot's wife, on looking behind her dur ing the destruction of the iniquitous cities, was convert ed to a pillar of salt. In the vicinity, we are told, there is a white mountain of fossil salt. But a rude and shapeless stone, destitute of all resemblance to a human being, is now shewn on a western promontory as the ob ject of divine wrath. Nevertheless, the pious pilgrims frequenting the Holy Land view it at this day with dread and astonishment. Tertullian, who lived in the third century, seems to insinuate, that the statue or pillar was extant in his time. Aware of the danger of hazarding an opinion on so delicate a controversy, which we be lieve has been the source of many volumes, we shall ab stain from urging our own sentiments respecting it.