the lights of the church and the light of science-第5章

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water；　the　level　of　the　inundation　fell　very　slowlyat　a　rate

of　only　a　few　inches　a　dayuntil　the　top　of　the　mountain　on

which　it　rested　became　visible。　This　is　an　amount　of　movement

which；　if　it　took　place　in　the　sea；　would　be　overlooked　by

ordinary　people　on　the　shore。　But　the　Mesopotamian　plain　slopes

gently；　from　an　elevation　of　500　or　600　feet　at　its　northern

end；　to　the　sea；　at　its　southern　end；　with　hardly　so　much　as　a

notable　ridge　to　break　its　uniform　flatness；　for　300　to　400

miles。　These　being　the　conditions　of　the　case；　the　following

inquiry　naturally　presents　itself：　not；　be　it　observed；　as　a

recondite　problem；　generated　by　modern　speculation；　but　as　a

plain　suggestion　flowing　out　of　that　very　ordinary　and　archaic

piece　of　knowledge　that　water　cannot　be　piled　up　like　in　a　heap；

like　sand；　or　that　it　seeks　the　lowest　level。　When；　after　150

days；　〃the　fountains　also　of　the　deep　and　the　windows　of　heaven

were　stopped；　and　the　rain　from　heaven　was　restrained〃　（Gen。

viii。2）；　what　prevented　the　mass　of　water；　several；　possibly

very　many；　fathoms　deep；　which　covered；　say；　the　present　site　of

Bagdad；　from　sweeping　seaward　in　a　furious　torrent；　and；　in　a

very　few　hours；　leaving；　not　only　the　〃tops　of　the　mountains；〃

but　the　whole　plain；　save　any　minor　depressions；　bare？　How　could

its　subsistence；　by　any　possibility；　be　an　affair　of　weeks

and　months？



And　if　this　difficulty　is　not　enough；　let　any　one　try　to　imagine

how　a　mass　of　water　several　perhaps　very　many；　fathoms　deep；

could　be　accumulated　on　a　flat　surface　of　land　rising　well　above

the　sea；　and　separated　from　it　by　no　sort　of　barrier。

Most　people　know　Lord's　Cricket…ground。　Would　it　not　be　an

absurd　contradiction　to　our　common　knowledge　of　the　properties

of　water　to　imagine　that；　if　all　the　mains　of　all　the　waterworks

of　London　were　turned　on　to　it；　they　could　maintain　a　heap　of

water　twenty　feet　deep　over　its　level　surface？　Is　it　not　obvious

that　the　water；　whatever　momentary　accumulation　might　take　place

at　first；　would　not　stop　there；　but　that　it　would　dash；　like　a

mighty　mill…race；　southwards　down　the　gentle　slope　which　ends　in

the　Thames？　And　is　it　not　further　obvious；　that　whatever　depth

of　water　might　be　maintained　over　the　cricket…ground　so　long　as

all　the　mains　poured　on　to　it；　anything　which　floated　there

would　be　speedily　whirled　away　by　the　current；　like　a　cork　in　a

gutter　when　the　rain　pours？　But　if　this　is　so；　then　it　is　no

less　certain　that　Noah's　deeply　laden；　sailless；　oarless；　and

rudderless　craft；　if　by　good　fortune　it　escaped　capsizing　in

whirlpools；　or　having　its　bottom　knocked　into　holes　by　snags

（like　those　which　prove　fatal　even　to　well…built　steamers　on　the

Mississippi　in　our　day）；　would　have　speedily　found　itself　a　good

way　down　the　Persian　Gulf；　and　not　long　after　in　the　Indian

Ocean；　somewhere　between　Arabia　and　Hindostan。　Even　if；

eventually；　the　ark　might　have　gone　ashore；　with　other　jetsam

and　flotsam；　on　the　coasts　of　Arabia；　or　of　Hindostan；　or　of　the

Maldives；　or　of　Madagascar；　its　return　to　the　〃mountains　of

Ararat〃　would　have　been　a　miracle　more　stupendous　than　all

the　rest。



Thus；　the　last　state　of　the　would…be　reconcilers　of　the　story　of

the　Deluge　with　fact　is　worse　than　the　first。　All　that　they　have

done　is　to　transfer　the　contradictions　to　established　truth　from

the　region　of　science　proper　to　that　of　common　information　and

common　sense。　For；　really；　the　assertion　that　the　surface　of　a

body　of　deep　water；　to　which　no　addition　was　made；　and　which

there　was　nothing　to　stop　from　running　into　the　sea；　sank　at　the

rate　of　only　a　few　inches　or　even　feet　a　day；　simply　outrages

the　most　ordinary　and　familiar　teachings　of　every　man's　daily

experience。　A　child　may　see　the　folly　of　it。



In　addition；　I　may　remark　that　the　necessary　assumption　of　the

〃partial　Deluge〃　hypothesis　（if　it　is　confined　to　Mesopotamia）

that　the　Hebrew　writer　must　have　meant　low　hills　when　he　said

〃high　mountains；〃　is　quite　untenable。　On　the　eastern　side　of　the

Mesopotamian　plain；　the　snowy　peaks　of　the　frontier　ranges　of

Persia　are　visible　from　Bagdad；　and　even　the　most　ignorant

herdsmen　in　the　neighbourhood　of　〃Ur　of　the　Chaldees；〃　near　its

western　limit；　could　hardly　have　been　unacquainted　with　the

comparatively　elevated　plateau　of　the　Syrian　desert　which　lay

close　at　hand。　But；　surely；　we　must　suppose　the　Biblical　writer

to　be　acquainted　with　the　highlands　of　Palestine　and　with　the

masses　of　the　Sinaitic　peninsula；　which　soar　more　than　8000　feet

above　the　sea；　if　he　knew　of　no　higher　elevations；　and；　if　so；

he　could　not　well　have　meant　to　refer　to　mere　hillocks　when　he

said　that　〃all　the　high　mountains　which　were　under　the　whole

heaven　were　covered〃　（Genesis　vii。　19）。　Even　the　hill…country　of

Galilee　reaches　an　elevation　of　4000　feet；　and　a　flood　which

covered　it　could　by　no　possibility　have　been　other　than

universal　in　its　superficial　extent。　Water　really　cannot　be　got

to　stand　at；　say；　4000　feet　above　the　sea…level　over　Palestine；

without　covering　the　rest　of　the　globe　to　the　same　height。　Even

if；　in　the　course　of　Noah's　six　hundredth　year；　some　prodigious

convulsion　had　sunk　the　whole　region　inclosed　within　〃the

horizon　of　the　geographical　knowledge〃　of　the　Israelites　by　that

much；　and　another　had　pushed　it　up　again；　just　in　time　to　catch

the　ark　upon　the　〃mountains　of　Ararat；〃　matters　are　not　much

mended。　I　am　afraid　to　think　of　what　would　have　become　of　a

vessel　so　little　seaworthy　as　the　ark　and　of　its　very　numerous

passengers；　under　the　peculiar　obstacles　to　quiet　flotation

which　such　rapid　movements　of　depression　and　upheaval　would

have　generated。



Thus；　in　view；　not；　I　repeat　of　the　recondite　speculations　of

infidel　philosophers；　but　in　the　face　of　the　plainest　and　most

commonplace　of　ascertained　physical　facts；　the　story　of　the

Noachian　Deluge　has　no　more　claim　to　credit　than　has　that　of

Deucalion；　and　whether　it　was；　or　was　not；　suggested　by　the

familiar　acquaintance　of　its　originators　with　the　effects　of

unusually　great　overflows　of　the　Tigris　and　Euphrates；　it　is

utterly　devoid　of　historical　truth。



That　is；　in　my　judgment；　the　necessary　result　of　the　application

of　criticism；　based　upon　assured　physical　knowledge　to　the　story

of　the　Deluge。　And　it　is　satisfactory　that　the　criticism　which

is　based；　not　upon　literary　and　historical　speculations；　but

upon　well…ascertained　facts　in　the　departments　of　literature　and

history；　tends　to　exactly　the　same　conclusion。



For　I　find　this　much　agreed　upon　by　all　Biblical　scholars　of

repute；　that　the　story　of　the　Deluge　in　Genesis　is　separable

into　at　least　two　sets　of　statements；　and　that；　when　the

statements　thus　separated　are　recombined　in　their　proper　order；

each　set　furnishes　an　account　of　the　event；　coherent　and

complete　within　itself；　but　in　some　respects　discordant　with

that　afforded　by　the　other　set。　This　fact；　as　I　understand；　is

not　disputed。　Whether　one　of　these　is　the　work　of　an　Elohist；

and　the　other　of　a　Jehovist　narrator；　whether　the　two　have　been

pieced　together　in　this　strange　fashion　because；　in　the

estimation　of　the　compilers　and　editors　of　the　Pentateuch；　they

had　equal　and　independent　authority；　or　not；　or　whether　there　is

some　other　way　of　accounting　for　itare　questions　the　answers

to　which　do　not　affect　the　fact。　If　possible　I　avoid　a

priori　arguments。　But　still；　I　think　it　may　be　urged；

without　imprudence；　that　a　narrative　having　this　structure　is

hardly　such　as　might　be　expected　from　a　writer　possessed　of　full

and　infallibly　accurate　knowledge。　Once　more；　it　would　seem　that

it　is　not　necessarily　the　mere　inclination　of　the　sceptical

spirit　to　question　everything；　or　the　wilful　blindness　of

infidels；　which　prompts　grave　doubts　as　to　the　value　of　a

narrative　thus　curiously　unlike　the　ordinary　run　of

veracious　histories。



But　the　voice　of　archaeological　and　historical　criticism　still