obferved in our Paraphrase of the 18. ch. of Genefis, and the 19. ver.

Differtation X.

Concerning the Statue of Salt.

L.. The Original of the Opinion, that Lot's Wife was changed into a Pillar of Salt, came from the Jews. II. This Opinion cannot be made out from the words of Mofes.. III. The abfurdity of it. IV. The Patrons of it are not to be reli'd on, fince they can bring no Reasons to fupport it.V.A Solution of the Arguments, ufually urged in behalf of the common Opinion. VI. That Lot's Wife either died of fear, or eife was fuffocated by fome peftilential Vapour. VII. That the Fables of Niobe and Medula, arofe from fuch Expreffions, as Mofes ufeth in this place, which is confirm'd by the Example of the Fable of the Harpies. VIII. Whether Hoc eft corpus meum, does not resemble the Mofaical Narration, as they have been already compar'd by Jome Perfons:

I.

HA

Aving described the burning of Sodom, and the neighbouring Towns, more accurately, than the common Interpreters are ufed to do; I think it not amifs, to examine

the

the celebrated Metamorphofis of Lot's Wife; For, as we have demonftrated in the foregoing Differtation, that thofe Cities fituated near fordan, were by an unufual divine Power, overwhelmed and buried in Ruins; fo, on the other hand, we hope we shall be able to convince every unprejudiced Reader in this; that fome perfons, out of too fond a regard to Miracles, by mifunderstanding the words of the Holy Scriptures, have improv'd an event, which we own to be somewhat uncommon, into a mighty Prodigy. The Jews, who were always a people fo fottifhly abandon'd to the belief of Miracles, that not being content with the Truth, they trumpt up a Thousand other Legends abfurd, of which the Bible makes not the least mention, seem to have mifled the Chriftians into this Error; and they, by following their blind Guides with too implicit a Refignation, imagin'd after the Jews, that Lot's Wife was turn'd into a Pillar of Salt; tho' fo wonderful a Change, cannot certainly be deduced from the words of Mofes. Jofephus relating this Hiftory, in the first Book of his Jewish Antiquities, ch. 12. To gum, fays he, aeg 7 aναχώρησιν, εἰς τὰ πόλιν συνεχῶς ἀνατρεφομένη, κ πολυπραγμονέσα τὰ περὶ αὐτῶ, ἀπηγορικότα τὸ Θεὸς ταῦτα ποιεῖν, εἰς ζήλω ἀλῶν μετέβαλεν ισόρηκα ἢ αὐτῶν, ἔτι γ ν ν διαμένει. But 25 Lot's Wife in her flight, cafting her eyes perpetu ally back upon the City, and being too much concern'd about it, tho' God had exprefly forbid, her

to

to do fo, was turn'd into a Pillar of Salt: I have beheld it my felf, and it continues to this Day. Jofephus's Country-men are of the fame Opinion, and particularly the Author of the Jerufalem Paraphrafe, where we read, that Lot's Wife; because she was a Native of Sodom, turn'd her head to fee what became of her Father's House, and was made a Pillar of Salt, till the time of the Refurrection. The fame account of the matter, is to be found in Jonathan.

II. Let us for a while, lay aside their Authority, of which we fhall treat hereafter; and examine Mofes's words, which gave occafion to this Opinion. Lot's Wife, fays he, who followed him, looked back, Vatthebi ntfib melahh, and became a Pillar of Salt. Now here we find two words of a doubtful Signification, which being ill understood, were accidentally the causes of

מלח and נציב .this Error

The first of them in this place, may proper ly fignifie two things, 1. A heap, fuch for instance, as were erected to preferve the Memory of any remarkable Accident, such as Laban and Jacob rais'd in the Mountain Galaad, as we find in Gen. ch. 31. Such a heap is call'd Mattfebah, a word of near affinity to this, which fignifies any thing that is rais'd up. For This reason, D. Kimchi feems to interpret it n thal, and upon this confideration, perhaps, or from the relation of thofe perfons, who faid, they had seen it, Sulpitius Severus, fuppofes Lot's Wife to be turned into a heap of Stones. They

were

were forbidden (thefe are his words) to look behind them, but the Woman not regarding this prohibition, as 'tis the infirmity of human Nature to long more earnestly after forbidden, things, turned back her Eyes, and is reported to have been immediately changed into a Heap. 2. It may fignifie a Statue or Pillar: The LXX Interpreters have Tranflated it, shλn λds, a Pillar of Salt, St. Jerome a Statue, and Onkelos the fame. From which Ambiguity of the Words it has happen'd, that some wou'd have Lot's Wife turn'd into a Pillar, without the refemblance of a feminine Shape, but others understand it to have been the Statue of a Woman, wherein all her Liniaments were plainly to be seen, as we fhall obferve. hereafter.

But befides these proper Significations, the word may in a figurative Senfe,be applied to fignifie fomething immoveable and hard like a Pillar, or Statue; whence the word nay, Nitsbelha in Chaldee, fignifie Hardness, Dan. 2. 41. Nay the word 3, fignifies a Garrison or Station of Soldiers, because Centinels continue always in the fame Poft, fee 1 Sam. 13. 3. Therefore this may be the meaning of Mofes, that Lot's Wife grew stiff, and remain'd there motionlefs, like a Pillar or Statue; as we shall more fully prove anon. Thus in common Conversation we are use to compare ftupid Men, that are gazing at any thing long in the fame pofture of Body, to Statues. Philo in his Book de Profugis, where he interprets this Hi

R

story

ftory in an Allegorical manner, not Unelogantly, ufes the word say, in a Metaphorical Sense: He fays, that those who leave the things before them, and turn their necks, s Tow, behind them, 28 Kæpus λíðs TRÝTOV SNAITEVEDO, become Pillars, like an inanimate and mute Stone. He has the fame Expreffion in his Book de Somniis, and lays of a Man that neglects his Soul, and only minds his Body, ἄψυχα ἀνακείσεται τήλη περὶ ἑαυτώ και rappesou, he will stand like an inanimate Pillar which is confumed of it felf.

Melahh, befides its

The other word common fignification of Salt properly fo called, has two other meanings in Scripture. Sometimes it fignifies a falt and barren Soil, like that about the Lacus Afphaltites, as we find in Mofes, Deut. 29. 23. All his Land thail be Brimftone, Salt and Combuftion, it fhall not be fown, nor yield Fruit, nor thall any Herb grow therein, as in the Deftruction of Sodom,

ב

c. In other places this fort of Soil is called Melbba, as Pfalm 107. 34. and the LXX Interpreters render it by αλμύρις οι άλμη, in which Senfe, if it is here understood, the Prepofition (which is frequently left out, as Gen. 24. 23. Pfal. 2. 12.) is wanting, and then it will run thus, And she was a Statue, or in other Hebrew words, they flood or remained a Statue in a faltifh Soil. Sometimes it fignifies a long space of time, as in Numb. 17. 19. This fhall be a Covenant of Salt, or an everlasting Covenant

to