1S48.] CONCLUSIONS OP WYLIE. 513 



leave it, which he did at day-break, but not earlier. 'When 

 the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, &c.' 

 Having set out, he reached the gates of Zoar at sunrise — 

 'The sun was risen upon the earth, when Lot entered into 

 Zoar.' It thus appears that Lot occupied only two hours in 

 travelling between the two cities — the time from day-break 

 till sunrise. Sodom, consequently, could not have been more 

 than six miles distant from Zoar ; and thus, its site would 

 fall within the limits of the lower lake ; for the head of that 

 lake is three hours from Zoar, — the site of Zoar, which is 

 known at this day, adjoining the southern extremity of the 

 lake. Now, if we suppose that Sodom was the capital of 

 the cities, and had her tributary towns arranged around her, 

 it will appear probable that the site of all these cities was 

 comprised in what is now the basin of the lower lake. The 

 ground on which they stood being depressed by their over- 

 throw, the lake adjoining them on the north poured its 

 waters over the low barrier, and covered from the eye of man, 

 this scene of enormous wickedness. Every consideration 

 tends to this conclusion. The geographical arrangement of 

 the region, and the construction of the lake, indicate that at 

 some former period it has been enlarged, and the traces of the 

 pristine beauties of the plain, which are still to be seen in 

 sonie places on its remaining portion, tell us that once it 

 was 'well watered everywhere' — 'even as the garden of the 

 Lord.'"* 



The survey of Lieutenant Lynch disproves one of the 

 assumed facts upon which Mr. Wylie bases his theory, and 

 on which he lays great stress — viz. that of the existence of a 

 dividing ridge between the upper and lower lakes. As there 

 is a strong current putting into the lake, which is deflected 

 by Mount Usdum and the southern shore, it is likewise 

 exceedingly probable, that the slime and mud accumulated 

 here have been deposited in this manner.! Indeed, this is 

 much more likely than that the bed of the southern lake was the 



* Modern Judea, etc., compared with Ancient Prophecy. 



+ Lynch's Narrative, p. 295. 



oo* 



