over the Palestinian hog's back, and have filled, up to the
brim, every depression on its surface. Therefore it could not
have failed to fill that remarkable trench in which the Dead
Sea, the Jordan, and the Sea of Galilee lie, and which is known
as the "Jordan-Arabah" valley.

This long and deep hollow extends more than 200 miles, from near
the site of ancient Dan in the north, to the water-parting at
the head of the Wady Arabah in the south; and its deepest part,
at the bottom of the basin of the Dead Sea, lies 2500 feet below
the surface of the adjacent Mediterranean. The lowest portion of
the rim of the Jordan-Arabah valley is situated at the village
of El Fuleh, 257 feet above the Mediterranean. Everywhere else
the circumjacent heights rise to a very much greater altitude.
Hence, of the water which stood over the Syrian tableland, when
as much drained off as could run away, enough would remain to
form a "Mere" without an outlet, 2757 feet deep, over the
present site of the Dead Sea. From this time forth, the level of
the Palestinian mere could be lowered only by evaporation. It is
an extremely interesting fact, which has happily escaped capture
for the purposes of the energetic misunderstanding, that the
valley, at one time, was filled, certainly within 150 feet of
this height--probably higher. And it is almost equally certain,
that the time at which this great Jordan-Arabah mere reached its
highest level coincides with the glacial epoch. But then the
evidence which goes to prove this, also leads to the conclusion
that this state of things obtained at a period considerably
older than even 4000 B.C., when the world, according to the
"Helps" (or shall we say "Hindrances") provided for the simple
student of the Bible, was created; that it was not brought about