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Narrative of the United States' expedition to the river Jordan and the Dead Sea
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1850
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 20, 2017
I read a copy which I got from Archive dot org. It was published in 1849 and was the full edition but did not include the appendix containing all of the data Lynch collected. I have looked for the appendix but am unable to find a copy. The book was very interesting and informative. It included much detail regarding the sites visited in context with their significance with respect to Biblical accounts. While reading I kept a digital map of Israel open as well as a dictionary as Lynch included many words which required me to get help with their definitions. I did find a fair amount of frustration as Lynch used contemporary names for many places which the map I was using was not able to locate. The book is a combination of scientific observations, travelogue, philosophy and commentary. It was an interesting read and I recommend it.
December 1, 2020
Just finished reading the oldest book on my shelf: "Narrative of the United States' Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea", published in 1850. Unfortunately, in the course of reading, despite the care I took, I did do some minor additional damage to the outer binding. But, well, books are to be read, are they not?
The book recounts the first-person tale by LT William Francis Lynch, USN, who led a 16-man expedition in 1847-48 to explore the Dead Sea and the course of the River Jordan to its source. Lynch clearly had a classical education, and laces the narrative with references to Pliny, Strabo, Roman history and Greek myth, but overriding all is his intense religiosity. Throughout the journey he continuously refers to Biblical geography and history for comparison - and his deep personal feelings about treading what he perceives as holy ground is palpable in the narrative.
The text, much of it at least, is beautifully written. Lynch has a true talent for narrative description, and whether he's awed by the natural beauty of a locale, humbled by its connections to his deeply-held religious beliefs, or simply annoyed by certain behaviors (camels, Arab musicians) the style definitely keeps one reading. However, it is also a journal-style narrative of the expedition, and in most sections one also must read through detailed descriptions of geography, topography, water depth and temperature, measurements of elevation, and what was clearly one of Lynch's favored subjects, local botanical observations.
Understated in the book is the sheer physical challenge of conduct of the expedition, although it does come out in the narrative. (In the first comment below this I'll attach a link to a high-resolution map of their route) At the end of the book, one member died of disease, while every other member of the expedition has passed through serious illness, and one suffered a serious wound by a close-range accidental discharge of a 12 gauge shotgun.
Yes, Lynch is often patronizing and condescending in his description of what he perceives as heathen barbarians, a few of whom he singles out as noble savages. Yet I did find interesting that, despite his later serving in the Confederate Navy during the US Civil War, he clearly states at one point that the Arabs treat their slaves much better than slaves are treated in the American south. Although he doesn't say it straight-out, the implication of his verbiage is that he disapproves of slavery in general. And he also goes off in the book about how women are denied their full, deserved roles in society, not just under the Turks, where they are covered and cloistered, but also in America, where they are more consigned as just pretty objects. A very interesting book by an interesting guy, from nearly 170 years ago.
The book recounts the first-person tale by LT William Francis Lynch, USN, who led a 16-man expedition in 1847-48 to explore the Dead Sea and the course of the River Jordan to its source. Lynch clearly had a classical education, and laces the narrative with references to Pliny, Strabo, Roman history and Greek myth, but overriding all is his intense religiosity. Throughout the journey he continuously refers to Biblical geography and history for comparison - and his deep personal feelings about treading what he perceives as holy ground is palpable in the narrative.
The text, much of it at least, is beautifully written. Lynch has a true talent for narrative description, and whether he's awed by the natural beauty of a locale, humbled by its connections to his deeply-held religious beliefs, or simply annoyed by certain behaviors (camels, Arab musicians) the style definitely keeps one reading. However, it is also a journal-style narrative of the expedition, and in most sections one also must read through detailed descriptions of geography, topography, water depth and temperature, measurements of elevation, and what was clearly one of Lynch's favored subjects, local botanical observations.
Understated in the book is the sheer physical challenge of conduct of the expedition, although it does come out in the narrative. (In the first comment below this I'll attach a link to a high-resolution map of their route) At the end of the book, one member died of disease, while every other member of the expedition has passed through serious illness, and one suffered a serious wound by a close-range accidental discharge of a 12 gauge shotgun.
Yes, Lynch is often patronizing and condescending in his description of what he perceives as heathen barbarians, a few of whom he singles out as noble savages. Yet I did find interesting that, despite his later serving in the Confederate Navy during the US Civil War, he clearly states at one point that the Arabs treat their slaves much better than slaves are treated in the American south. Although he doesn't say it straight-out, the implication of his verbiage is that he disapproves of slavery in general. And he also goes off in the book about how women are denied their full, deserved roles in society, not just under the Turks, where they are covered and cloistered, but also in America, where they are more consigned as just pretty objects. A very interesting book by an interesting guy, from nearly 170 years ago.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews