5 86 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



But, from the middle of the eighteenth century, the new cur- 

 rent sets through Palestine with ever-increasing strength. Very- 

 interesting is it to compare the great scriptural commentaries of 

 the middle of this century with those published a century earlier. 



Of the earlier ones we may take Matthew Poole's " Synopsis " 

 as a type : as authorized by royal decree in 1667 it contains very 

 substantial arguments for the pious belief in the statue. Of the 

 later ones we may take the edition of the noted commentary of 

 the Jesuit Tirinus seventy years later ; while he feels bound to 

 present the authorities, he evidently endeavors to get rid of the 

 subject as speedily as possible under cover of conventionalities ; 

 of the spirit of Quaresmio he shows no trace.* 



About 1760 came a striking evidence of the strength of this 

 new current. The Abate Mariti then published his book upon the 

 Holy Land ; and, of this book by an Italian ecclesiastic, the most 

 eminent of German bibliographers in this field says that it first 

 broke a path for critical study of the Holy Land. 



Mariti is entirely skeptical as to the sinking of the valley of 

 Siddim and the overwhelming of the cities. He speaks kindly of 

 a Capuchin Father who saw everywhere at the Dead Sea traces of 

 the divine malediction, while he himself could not see them, and 

 says, " It is because a Capuchin carries everywhere the five senses 

 of faith, while I only carry those of nature." He speaks of " the 

 lies of Josephus," and makes merry over " the rude and shapeless 

 block " which the guide assured him was the statue of Lot's wife, 

 explaining the want of human form in the salt pillar by telling 

 him that this complete metamorphosis was part of her pun- 

 ishment. 



About twenty years later another remarkable man broaches 

 the subject in what was then known as the "philosophic" spirit 

 Volney. Between the years 1783 and 1785 he made an extensive 

 journey through the Holy Land and published a volume of trav- 

 els which by acuteness of thought and vigor of style secured gen- 

 eral attention. In these, myth and legend were thrown aside, and 

 we have an account simply dictated by the love of truth as truth. 

 He, too, keeps the torch of science burning by applying his geo- 

 logical knowledge to the regions which he traverses. 



As we look back over the eighteenth century we see mingled 

 with the new current of thought, and strengthening it, a con- 

 stantly increasing stream of more strictly scientific observation 

 and reflection. 



To review it briefly, in the very first years of the century Ma- 

 map at page 7. For Bachiene, see his " Historische und geographische Beschreibung von 

 Palasstina," Leipzig, 1766, vol. 1, pp. 118-120, and notes. 



* For Poole, see "Poli Synopsis," 1669, p. 179; and for Tirinus, the Lyons' edition of 

 his "Commentary," 1736, p. 10. 



