Topical Bible: Salt: Often Found in Pits

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Topical Encyclopedia

Salt, a mineral essential for human life and a symbol of covenant and purity in the Bible, is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures. Its presence in pits, or salt pits, is particularly noteworthy, as these natural formations were significant in the ancient Near East for the extraction and collection of salt.

Biblical References and Symbolism

Salt is first mentioned in the context of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). This event underscores the mineral's association with judgment and divine retribution. Salt's preservative qualities also make it a symbol of enduring covenants, as seen in the "covenant of salt" mentioned in Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5.

Salt Pits in the Ancient Near East

Salt pits were natural depressions where salt would accumulate, often found in arid regions. These pits were crucial for the production and collection of salt, which was a valuable commodity in biblical times. The Dead Sea region, known for its high salinity, was a prominent area for salt pits. The Bible refers to the "Valley of Salt," a location near the Dead Sea, where significant battles took place (2 Samuel 8:13; 2 Kings 14:7; 1 Chronicles 18:12).

Cultural and Economic Importance

In the ancient world, salt was not only a dietary staple but also a critical element in trade and economy. It was used for preserving food, seasoning, and even in religious rituals. The presence of salt pits provided a steady supply of this essential mineral, making them economically significant. The control of salt resources often translated into power and wealth, as seen in various historical accounts.

Theological Implications

Salt's role in biblical narratives extends beyond its physical properties. It serves as a metaphor for spiritual truths. Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13), highlights the call for believers to preserve and purify the world through their witness and conduct. The imagery of salt losing its flavor serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and ineffectiveness.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly mention salt pits in every instance, the cultural and historical context of salt production and its symbolic meanings are deeply woven into the fabric of biblical teaching. Salt, often found in pits, remains a powerful symbol of covenant, purity, and divine judgment throughout Scripture.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joshua 11:8
And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them to great Zidon, and to Misrephothmaim, and to the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Zephaniah 2:9
Therefore as I live, said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Rest for the Weary
... ascension, so He has promised to be found of those ... parched places of the wilderness,
in a salt land not ... They are often most sensibly sweet and lively, when the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xiv rest for the.htm

Psalm LX.
... something which in history is not found, and hence ... twelve thousand in the valley
of salt-pits." Twelve thousand ... exceeding well known to all, and often in the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lx.htm

The Poet.
... So much for the varied and often irregular streams of the ... But dwell in the aridest
desert, A salt, uninhabited land ... They came to the pits; Water found none and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture ii the poet.htm

Chapter xiv
... frequent identity of personal names and place names is found. ... canons of criticism
employed by critics are often so sharp ... far from the south end of the Salt See ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiv.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... impregnated with selenite and common salt, and irregularly ... up here and there, forming
slimy pits. ... name Khammurabi, for instance, is often found written Ammurabi ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Chapter xix
... eruption; nor do lava remains happen to be found in the ... that the name of God or Yahweh
is often used in ... back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xix.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... Four or five townships, singled out at random from the middle of a province, would
often be found to belong to as many different races, and their respective ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Death of the Blessed virgin Mary at Ephesus
... Sacrament, and in the others chrism, oil, salt, other holy ... rest in public shelters
such as are found by the ... Jericho a short time before; he often traveled to ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xviii the death of the.htm

On the Death of his Father.
... be; nor would she ever share the salt, I say ... longing, but she would, as I have often
heard her ... Magnanimity in regard to money may be found without difficulty ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xviii on the death.htm

Aubrey Leigh was a Man who had Chosen his Own Way of Life...
... the lute" chanced to him, as it often chances to many ... to answer,"and by and by he
found himself on ... fisherman's garb, with the sparkle of the salt spray still ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xviii aubrey leigh was a.htm