Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/539

 PALAESTINA. Egjpt (i. 30). The mistake is the more unac- countable, as he not only describes the Dead Sea in a manner which shows that he was thorou^jhly ac- quainted with its peculiarities, but also cites the opinions of more ancient authors, who had described and attempted to explain its phaenomena. His notice is peculiarly interesting from the accounts ■which he gives of the formation of the bitumen, and the other indications which be mentions in the vi- cinity of the operation of volcanic agency, of which more will be said in the following chapter. The native traditions of the catastrophe of the cities of the plain, and the still existing monuments of their over- throw, are facts not mentioned by the earlier historian. " The lake Sirbonis is of great extent : some have stated its circumference at 1000 stadia; it stretches along near the sea-coast, in length a little more than 200 stadia, deep, and with exceedingly heavy water, so that it is not necessary to swim, but one who ad- vances into it up to his waist is immediately borne up. It is full of asphalt, which it vomits up at uncertain seasons from the midst of the depth, together with bubbles like those of boiling water, and the surface, curving itself, assumes the appearance of a crest. Together with the asphalt there rises much soot, smoky, and invisible to the sight, by which brass, silver, and everything shining, even gold, is tar- nished ; and by the tarnishing of their vessels the inhabitants of the neighbourhood know the time when the asphalt begins to rise, and make prepa- rations for collecting it by constructing rafts of reeds. Now the asphalt is the soil of the earth melted by heat, and bubbling up, and again changed into a solid mass by cold water, such as that of the lake, so that it requires to be cut; it then floats on the surface by reason of the nature of the water, which, as I have said, is such that a person who goes into it need not swim, and indeed cannot sink, but is supported by the water. The people then sail up on the rafts, and cut and carry oif as much as they can of the asphalt: this is what takes place. But Posidonius states that they being sorcerers use certain incantations, and consolidate the asphalt by pouring over it urine and other foul liquids, and then pressing them out. After this they cut it; unless perhaps urine has the same properties as in the bladder of those who suffer from stone. For gold-solder (xpyfoKoAAo, borax) is made with the urine of boys. In the midst of the lake the phae- nomenon may reasonably take place, because the source of the fire, and that of the asphalt, as well as the principal quantities, of it, are in the middle ; and the eruption is uncertain, because the movements of fire have no order known to us, as is that of many other gases (irvev/j.aTa). This also takes place in Apollonia of Epeirus. There are many other evi- dences also of the existence of fire beneath the ground; for several rough burnt rocks are shown near Moasas [Masada], and caves in several places, and earth formed of ashes, and drops of pitch distil- ling from the rocks, and boiling streams, with an unpleasant odour perceptible from a distance, and bouses overthrown in every direction, so as to give probability to the legends of the natives, that for- merly thirteen cities stood on this spot, of the principal of which, namely, Sodoma. ruins still remain about 60 stadia in circumference; that the lake was formed by earthquakes and the ebullition of fire, and hot water impregnated with bitumen and sulphur; that the rocks took fire; and that some of the cities were swallowed up, and others were de- PALAESTINA. 503 serted by those of their inhabitants who could es- cape. Eratosthenes gives a different account, namely, that the country being marshy, the greater part of it was covered like the sea by the bursting out of the waters. Bloreover, in the territory of Gadara there is some pernicious lake-water, which when the cattle drink, they lose their hair, hoofs, and horns. At the place named Tarichiae the lake affords ex- cellent salt fish; it also produces fruit-trees, re- sembling apple-trees. The Egyptians use the asphalt for embalming the dead." (Lib. svi. pp. 763, 764.) Another confusion must be remarked at the close of this passage, where Strabo evidently places Tari- chiae on the Dead Sea, whereas it is situated on the shores of the sea of Tiberias. The next writer is the Jewish historian, who adds indeed little to the accurate information conveyed by his predecessors; but his account is evidently independent of the former, and states a few facts which will be of service in the sequel. Josephus wrote about A. d. 71. " It is worth while to describe the character of the lake Asphaltites, which is salt and unproductive, as I mentioned, and of such buoyancy that it sustains even the heaviest substances thrown into it, and that even one who endeavours to sink in it cannot easily do so. For Vespasian, having come to examine it, ordered some persons who could not swim to be bound with their hands behind their backs, and to be cast into the deep; and it happened that all of them floated on the surface as if they were borne up by the force of a blast. The changes of its colour also are re- markable; for thrice every day it changes its ap- pearance, and reflects different colours from the rays of the sun It also emits in many places black masses of bitumen, which float on the surface, some- what resembling headless bulls in appearance and size. The workmen who live by the lake row out, and, laying hold of the solid masses, drag them into their boats; but when they have filled them they do not find it easy to cut the bitumen, for, by reason of its tenacity, the boat adheres to the mass until it is detached by means of the menstruous blood of women or urine, to which alone it yields. It is used not only for shipbuilding but also for medicinal purposes : it is mixed with several dimgs. The length of this lake is 580 stadia, as it extends as far as Zoara of Arabia: its breadth is 150 stadia. On the borders of the lake lies the territory of Sodom, formerly a flourishing country, both on account of the abund- ance of its produce and the number of its cities; now it is all an arid waste. It is said that it was destroyed by lightning, on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants. The traces of the heavenly tire and the ruins of five cities may still be seen; and ashes are found even in the fruits, which are of an appearance resembling the edible kinds, but which, when plucked, turn into smoke and asiies. Such confirmation do the legends concerning the land of Sodom receive from actual observation." (Joseph. B. J. iv. 8. § 4.) The Dead Sea and its marv-els was a subject suited to the inquiring spirit of the naturalist; and Pliny's account, though brief, is remarkably clear and accurate, except that, in common with all writers, he greatly overstates its size. He wrote probably too soon (A. d. 74) after Josephus to avail himself of his account p.nd may, therefore, be re- garded as an independent authority. " This lake produces nothing but bitumen, from