Between 1870 and 1880 came two killing blows at the older theories,
and they were dealt by two American scholars of the highest
character. First of these may be mentioned Dr. Philip Schaff, a
professor in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary at New York, who
published his travels in 1877. In a high degree he united the
scientific with the religious spirit, but the trait which made him
especially fit for dealing with this subject was his
straightforward German honesty. He tells the simple truth regarding
the pillar of salt, so far as its physical origin and
characteristics are concerned, and leaves his reader to draw the
natural inference as to its relation to the myth. With the fate of Dr.
Robertson Smith in Scotland and Dr. Woodrow in South Carolina before
him--both recently driven from their professorships for truth-telling--
Dr. Schaff deserves honour for telling as much as he does.
Similar in effect, and even more bold in statement, were the
travels of the Rev. Henry Osborn, published in 1878.
Pages:
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179