In1615FatherJeanBoucherpublishesthefirstofmanyeditionsofhisSacredBouquetoftheHolyLand。HedepictsthehorrorsoftheDeadSeainanumberofstrikingantitheses，andamongtheseisthestatementthatitismadeofmudratherthanofwater，thatitsoilswhateverisputintoit，andsocorruptsthelandaboutitthatnotabladeofgrassgrowsinallthatregion。

　　Inthesamespirit，thirteenyearslater，theProtestantChristopherHeidmannpublisheshisPalaestina，inwhichhespeaksofafluidresemblingbloodoozingfromtherocksabouttheDeadSea，andcitesauthoritiestoprovethatthestatueofLot’swifestillexistsandgivessignsoflife。

　　Yet，asweneartheendofthesixteenthcentury，someevidencesofahealthfulandfruitfulscepticismbegintoappear。

　　Theoldstreamoftravellers，commentators，andpreachers，acceptingtraditionandrepeatingwhattheyhavebeentold，flowson；buthereandtherewearerefreshedbythesightofamanwhoreallybeginstothinkandlookforhimself。

　　FirstamongtheseistheFrenchnaturalistPierreBelon。Asregardstheordinarywonders，hehadthesimplefaithofhistime。Amongamultitudeofsimilarthings，hebelievedthathesawthestonesonwhichthedisciplesweresleepingduringtheprayerofChrist；thestoneonwhichtheLordsatwhenheraisedLazarusfromthedead；theLord’sfootprintsonthestonefromwhichheascendedintoheaven；and，mostcuriousofall，“thestonewhichthebuildersrejected。”Yethemakessomeadvanceonhispredecessors，sinceheshowsinonepassagethathehadthoughtouttheprocessbywhichthesimplermythsofPalestineweremade。For，betweenBethlehemandJerusalem，heseesafieldcoveredwithsmallpebbles，andofthesehesays：“Thecommonpeopletellyouthatamanwasoncesowingpeasthere，whenOurLadypassedthatwayandaskedhimwhathewasdoing；

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