Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/543

PALAESTINA. chalk period prevail. It is in the northern part of this country alone that volcanic formations are found in considerable quantities. Nevertheless much of the land in which volcanic rocks are not found bears evident marks of frequent volcanic action, such as hot-sprinss; the crater-like depressions, such as the basin of Tiberias, and that of the Dead Sea, with its basaltic rocks ; the frequent and visible disturb- ances of the strata of the normal rocks, the numerous crevices, and especially the frequent and violent earth- quakes. The line of earthquakes in Syria includes Hebron, Jerusalem, A'a6?(ts, Tiberias, Safed, Baalbek, Aleppo, from thence takes a direction from south- west to north-east, follows the direction of the central chain of Syria, runs parallel to that of the valley of the Jordan, and has its termination northwards, in the volcanic country on the slope of Taurus (Giaur Bdffh), and southwards in the mountain land of Arabia Petraea. At several places branches of this great volcanic crevice appear to stietch as far as tbe sea, and to touch Jaffa, Acre, Beirut, Antioch, — unless,indeed, there be a second crevice, parallel to the first, running along the coast, and connecting the above places. I am of opinion that such is the case, and that there exists also a third crevice, coin- ciding with the direction of the valley of the Jordan, and united to the principal crevice above mentioned at its northern extremity. This supposition will ac- count for the depression of the valley of the Jordan. At the time of the destruction of Sodom and Go- morrah the surface of the crevice opened, and the great depression of the ground from Jehel-es-Sheich to the watershed in Wady-el-Araba followed. The difference of the resistance arising from local circum- stances, the volcanic eruptions connected with this phaenomenon, the local form of the land, and the dif- ferent depths of the chasm then fomied, caused a more or less extensive depression, and created along the chasm crater- like hollows, some of extraordinary depth, as the basin of Tiberias and that of the Dead Sea. These hollows, as is usual in such cases, became filled with water, and formed a system of lakes. Next the waters from the sides of Jehel-es-Sheich formed the principal stream of Jordan connecting these lakes, having overflowed them successively. Tills however was not the case with the Dead Sea. The watershed of Wady-el-Araba is probably much more ancient than the depression ; and as the Red Sea, judging by the geognostic nature of Wady-el- Araba, formerly seems to have extended so far inland, this barrier must have existed at the time of the depression, since otherwise the Eed Sea would have burst into the hollow formed by the sinking of the laud. If, however, there existed before the time of the depression a regular fall throughout the whole valley to the Red Sea, it is natural to suppose that at that time the Jordan flowed into the Red Sea, and that when the depression took place its cour.se was interrupted. However this may have been, after the depression the filling of the basin of the Dead Sea continued until it became of such super- ficies, that the evaporation of the water was equal to the influx. The appearance of its shores proves that, owing either to a greater influx of water during rainy seasons, or to a less copious evaporation caused by circumstances of temperature, the sea at one time was consideraby higher than at present." Professor Daubeny introduces his theory with other notices of volcanic agency collected from modern books of travel. (Dr. Daubeny,^ Description of ac- tive and exUnct Vokanos, #c. 2nd ed.pp.350— 363.) PALAESTINA. 527 " If we proceed southwards, from the part of Asia Minor we have just been considering, in the direc- tion of Palestine, we shall meet with abundant evi- dences of igneous action to corroborate the accounts that have been handed down to us by ancient wri- ters, whether sacred or profane, from both which it might be inferred that volcauos were in activity even so late as to admit of their being included within the limits of authentic history. {Nahum, i. 5, 6; Micah, i. 3, 4; Isaiah, Ixiv. 1 — 3; Jer. h. 25, 26.) " The destruction of the five cities on the borders of the lake Asphaltitis or Dead Sea, can be attri- buted, I conceive, to nothing else than a volcanic eruption, judging both from the description given by Moses of the manner in which it took place (Ge?i. xix. 24, 25, 28; Deut. xxix. 23), and from the present aspect of the countiy itself. "Volney's description of the present state of this countiy fully coincides with this view. (^Travels in Egypt and Syria, vol. i. pp. 281, 282.) " ' The south of Syria,' he remarks, ' that is, the hollow through which the Jordan flows, is a country of volcanos : the bituminous and sulphureous sources of the lake Asphaltitis, the lava, the pumice-stones thrown upon its banks, and the hot-baths of Ta- baria, demonstrate that this valley has been the seat of a subterraneous fire, which is not yet extin- guished. Clouds of smoke are often obser'ed 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 Jlediterranean. It appears certain, at least, that the catastrophe of five cities destroyed by fire must have been occasioned by the eruption of a volcano then burning. " ' The eruptions themselves have ceased long since, but the effects which usually succeed them still con- tinue to be felt at intervals in this country. The coast iu general is subject to earthquakes; and history notices several which have changed the face of Antioch, Laodicea, Tripoli, Berytus, Tyre, and Sidon. In our time, in the year 1759, there happened one which caused the greatest ravages. It is said to have destroyed in the valley of f5a<albec upwards of 20,000 persons; a loss which has never been repaired. For three months the shock of it terrified the inhabitants of Lebanon so much as to make them abandon their houses and dwell under tents.' " In addition to these remarks of Volney, a recent traveller, Mr. Legh (see his account of Syria, at- tached to Macmichael's Jotirney from Moscow to Constantinople), states that, "on the south-east side of the Dead Sea, on the right of the road that leads to Kerak, red and brown hornstone, porphyry, in the latter of which the felspar is much dec<anposed, syenite, breccia, and a heavy black amygdaloid, containing white specks, apparently of zeolite, are the prevailing rocks. Not far from Slwbec, where there were formeriy copper mines, he observed por- tions of scoriae. Near the fortress of S/iobec, on the left, are two volcanic craters; on the right, one. The Roman road on the same side is formed of pieces of lava. Masses of volcanic rock also occur in the valley of Ellasar. " The western side of the valley of the Jordan, ac- cording to Russegger, is composed of Jura limestone, intersected by numerous dykes and streams of ba.salt.