Asphalt, also known as bitumen, is a naturally occurring, sticky, black, and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. In biblical times, it was a valuable resource used for various purposes, including construction and waterproofing. The substance is mentioned in several contexts within the Bible, highlighting its significance in ancient Near Eastern culture and technology.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 11:3 : "They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' So they used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar." This verse refers to the construction of the Tower of Babel, where asphalt was used as a binding material. The use of asphalt in this context underscores its importance in building techniques of the time, providing durability and resistance to water.

2. Genesis 14:10 : "Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, but the rest fled to the hill country." The mention of tar pits in the Valley of Siddim indicates the natural abundance of asphalt in the region. These pits were hazardous, as illustrated by the fate of the fleeing kings, yet they also served as a source of the material for various uses.

3. Exodus 2:3 : "But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile." In this passage, the mother of Moses uses asphalt to waterproof the basket in which she placed her son. This practical application demonstrates the material's effectiveness in creating watertight vessels, a critical need in the Nile's environment.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In the ancient Near East, asphalt was a crucial resource due to its adhesive and waterproofing properties. It was commonly found in the Dead Sea region, known for its rich deposits. The material was used not only in construction but also in shipbuilding, as a sealant for wooden structures, and even in embalming processes.

The use of asphalt in biblical times reflects the ingenuity and resourcefulness of ancient peoples in utilizing natural resources to meet their needs. Its presence in the biblical narrative provides insight into the technological advancements and daily life of the era.

Symbolic and Theological Implications:

While asphalt itself does not carry explicit symbolic meaning in the Bible, its use in significant events, such as the construction of the Tower of Babel and the preservation of Moses, can be seen as a testament to human creativity and the providence of God in providing resources for protection and survival. The material's role in these narratives highlights the intersection of divine sovereignty and human agency in the unfolding of biblical history.1. (n.) Alt. of Asphaltum.

2. (v. t.) To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets.

ASPHALT

as'-falt. See SLIME.

2564. chemar -- bitumen, asphalt
... 2563c, 2564. chemar. 2565 . bitumen, asphalt. Transliteration: chemar
Phonetic Spelling: (khay-mawr') Short Definition: tar. Word ...
/hebrew/2564.htm - 6k

2560b. chamar -- to cover or smear with asphalt
... 2560a, 2560b. chamar. 2560c . to cover or smear with asphalt. Transliteration:
chamar Short Definition: covered. Word Origin denominative ...
/hebrew/2560b.htm - 5k

2203. zepheth -- pitch
... pitch From an unused root (meaning to liquify); asphalt (from its tendency to soften
in the sun) -- pitch. 2202, 2203. zepheth. 2203a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2203.htm - 5k

The Illusion of the Sealed Letters; Object in Detailing These ...
... Melting pitch, resin, and sulphur, and moreover asphalt, in equal parts, (and)
forming the ointment into a figure, they keep it by them. ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxxiv the illusion of the.htm

Footnotes:
... Wall and Sawkins, in an Appendix on Asphalt Deposits, an excellent monograph which
first pointed out, as far as I am aware, the fact that asphalt, at least at ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/footnotes .htm

La Brea
... which buried vegetable matter, which would have become peat, and finally brown coal,
in a temperate climate, becomes, under the hot tropic soil, asphalt and oil ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter viii la brea.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... So we walked out upon the mud, which was mostly hard enough, past shallow pools
of brackish water, smelling of asphalt, toward a group of little mud-volcanoes ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

The Story of the Tower of Babel
... Then they said one to another, "Come, let us make bricks and thoroughly bake
them." So they had bricks for stone and asphalt for mortar. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the story of the tower.htm

The Divination by a Cauldron; Illusion of Fiery Demons; Specimen ...
... figure he wishes, and then covertly smearing it with a drug mixed according to this
manner, viz., of Laconian [264] and Zacynthian asphalt,"while next, as if ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxxv the divination by a.htm

The Sethian Theory Concerning "Mixture" and "Composition ...
... And in the first of the outlets is exhibited a concretion of salt, and in the second
of asphalt, and in the third of oil; and the oil is black, just as, he says ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xvi the sethian theory concerning.htm

The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs all ...
... So many people's persons with one torch, one squill,. With sulphur and asphalt of
the loud-sounding sea,. From the placid-flowing, deep-flowing ocean. ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter iv the heathens made gods.htm

Acts and Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Apostle.
... his hands and feet with iron nails, and cover him over with paper, having smeared
it with dolphins' oil, and cover him up with brimstone and asphalt and pitch ...
/.../acts and martyrdom of st matthew the apostle/acts and martyrdom of st.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... about the position of the Tower of Babel, that it stood between the territory of
Assyria and Babylon in the land of Shinar, and that the asphalt used in its ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Asphalt (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Alt. of Asphaltum. 2. (vt) To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof;
asphalted streets. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ASPHALT. as'-falt. ...
/a/asphalt.htm - 7k

Salt (45 Occurrences)
... Lyon Playfair argues, on scientific grounds, that under the generic name of "salt,"
in certain passages, we are to understand petroleum or its residue asphalt. ...
/s/salt.htm - 34k

Slime (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Genesis 11:3; LXX., "asphalt;" RV marg., "bitumen").
The vale of Siddim was full of slime pits (14:10). ...
/s/slime.htm - 11k

Bitumen (3 Occurrences)
... It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc. See Asphalt.
2. (n.) By extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons ...
/b/bitumen.htm - 8k

Noah (55 Occurrences)
... It was divided into rooms or nests, and was three stories high, pitched within and
without with bitumen or "asphalt," of which there are extensive deposits at ...
/n/noah.htm - 66k

Lot (145 Occurrences)
... time in the saline incrustations. She became "a pillar of salt", ie, as
some think, of asphalt. (see SALT.). Lot and his daughters ...
/l/lot.htm - 60k

Daub (3 Occurrences)
... In Exodus 2:3 "daubed it with slime and with pitch" (Hebrew wattachmerah, denominative
of chemar, "bitumen" or "asphalt"), "to daub" has the same meaning as in ...
/d/daub.htm - 8k

Pit (110 Occurrences)
... 9:15), and is the name given to the unseen place of woe (Revelation 20:1, 3). The
slime-pits in the vale of Siddim were wells which yielded asphalt (Genesis 14 ...
/p/pit.htm - 41k

Pitch (25 Occurrences)
... (Genesis 6:14), asphalt or bitumen in its soft state, called "slime" (Genesis
11:3; 14:10; Exodus 2:3), found in pits near the Dead Sea (qv). ...
/p/pitch.htm - 18k

Pits (13 Occurrences)
... Diodorus Siculus calls the Dead Sea limne asphalstitis, "lake of asphalt." See SIDDIM;
CITIES OF THE PLAIN. Alfred Ely Day. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/p/pits.htm - 13k

What is the importance of the Dead Sea in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Asphalt: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus