Monuments to the Truth of the Scriptures. 23 Finally, the forty-two stations named in Num. 33 as camp ing places for the children of Israel on their way to Palestine, while they cannot all of them be identified, can be determined in sufficient numbers to show that it is not a fictitious list, nor a mere pilgrim’s diary, since the scenes of greatest interest, like the region immediately about Mount Sinai, are specially adapted to the great transactions which are recorded as taking place. Besides, it is incredible that a writer of fiction should have encumbered his pages with such a barren catalogue of places. But as part of the great historical movement they are perfectly appropriate. This conformity of newly discovered facts to the narrative of Sacred Scripture confirms our confidence in the main tes timony ; just as the consistency of a witness in a cross-examina tion upon minor and incidental points establishes confidence in his general testimony. The late Sir Walter Besant, in addi tion to his other literary and philanthropic labors, was for many years secretary of the Palestine Exploration Fund. In reply to the inquiry whether the work of the survey under his direction sustained the historical character of the Old Testa ment, he says: “To my mind, absolute truth in local details, a thing which cannot possibly be invented, when it is spread over a history covering many centuries, is proof almost ab solute as to the truth of the things related.” Such proof we have for every part of the Bible. THE FOURTEENTH OF GENESIS. The fourteenth chapter of Genesis relates that “In the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim (na tions), they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Bersha, king of Gomorrah, and Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar).” The Babylonian kings were successful and the region about the Dead Sea was subject to them for twelve years, when
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