Archive image from page 619 of De re metallica (1950). De re metallica deremetallica50agri Year: 1950 582 ROOK XII. salty, at Babylon, as Pliny writes, was taken from the weUs to the salt works and heated by the great heat of the sun, and condensed partly into liquid bitumen and partly into salt. The bitumen being lighter, floats on the top, while the salt being heavier, sinks to the bottom. Liquid bitumen, if there is much floating on springs, streams and rivers, is drawn up in buckets or other vessels ; but, if there is little, it is collected with goose wings, pieces called petroleum.'
Archive image from page 619 of De re metallica (1950). De re metallica deremetallica50agri Year: 1950 582 ROOK XII. salty, at Babylon, as Pliny writes, was taken from the weUs to the salt works and heated by the great heat of the sun, and condensed partly into liquid bitumen and partly into salt. The bitumen being lighter, floats on the top, while the salt being heavier, sinks to the bottom. Liquid bitumen, if there is much floating on springs, streams and rivers, is drawn up in buckets or other vessels ; but, if there is little, it is collected with goose wings, pieces called petroleum.' Bitumen was used by the Egyptians for embalming from prehistoric times, , prior to 5000 , the term ' mummy ' arising from the Persian word for bitumen, mnmiai. It is mentioned in the tribute from Babylonia to Thotmes in., who lived about 1500 (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians I., p. 397). The Egyptians, however, did not need to go further afield than the Sinai Peninsula for abundant supplies. Bitumen is often cited as the real meaning of the ' slime ' mentioned in Genesis (xi., 3 ; xiv., 10), and used in building the Tower of Babel. There is no particular reason for this assumption, except the general association of Babel, Babylon, and Bitumen. However, the Hebrew word sift for pitch or does occur as the cement used for Moses's bulrush cradle (Exodus 11., 3), and Moses is generally accounted about 1300 Other attempts to connect Biblical reference to petroleum and bitumen revolve around Job xxix., 6, Deut. xxxii., 13, Maccabees 11., I, 18, Matthew v., 13, but all require an unnecessary strain on the imagination. The plentiful occurrence of bitumen throughout Asia Minor, and particularly in the Valley of the Euphrates and in Persia, is the subject of innumerable references by writers from Herodotus (484-424 ) down to the author of the company prospectus of recent months. Herodotus (i., 179) and Diodorus Siculus (i) state that the walls of Babylon were m
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