In1615FatherJeanBoucherpublishesthefirstofmanyeditionsofhisSacredBouquetoftheHolyLand。HedepictsthehorrorsoftheDeadSeainanumberofstrikingantitheses，andamongtheseisthestatementthatitismadeofmudratherthanofwater，thatitsoilswhateverisputintoit，andsocorruptsthelandaboutitthatnotabladeofgrassgrowsinallthatregion。
Inthesamespirit，thirteenyearslater，theProtestantChristopherHeidmannpublisheshisPalaestina，inwhichhespeaksofafluidresemblingbloodoozingfromtherocksabouttheDeadSea，andcitesauthoritiestoprovethatthestatueofLot’swifestillexistsandgivessignsoflife。
Yet，asweneartheendofthesixteenthcentury，someevidencesofahealthfulandfruitfulscepticismbegintoappear。
Theoldstreamoftravellers，commentators，andpreachers，acceptingtraditionandrepeatingwhattheyhavebeentold，flowson；buthereandtherewearerefreshedbythesightofamanwhoreallybeginstothinkandlookforhimself。
FirstamongtheseistheFrenchnaturalistPierreBelon。Asregardstheordinarywonders，hehadthesimplefaithofhistime。Amongamultitudeofsimilarthings，hebelievedthathesawthestonesonwhichthedisciplesweresleepingduringtheprayerofChrist；thestoneonwhichtheLordsatwhenheraisedLazarusfromthedead；theLord’sfootprintsonthestonefromwhichheascendedintoheaven；and，mostcuriousofall，“thestonewhichthebuildersrejected。”Yethemakessomeadvanceonhispredecessors，sinceheshowsinonepassagethathehadthoughtouttheprocessbywhichthesimplermythsofPalestineweremade。For，betweenBethlehemandJerusalem，heseesafieldcoveredwithsmallpebbles，andofthesehesays：“Thecommonpeopletellyouthatamanwasoncesowingpeasthere，whenOurLadypassedthatwayandaskedhimwhathewasdoing；