The Salt Sea, also known as the Sea of Arabah, is another name for the Dead Sea, located at the lowest point on Earth (Gen. 14:3; Num. 34:3, 12; Deut. 3:17; Josh. 3:16; 12:3; 15:2, 5; 18:19; Deut. 4:49; 2Ki. 14:25).
Also known as Arabah · Sea of the Arabah · Dead Sea · sea of the plain
The Salt Sea, also referred to as the Sea of Arabah, is the biblical name for what is now known as the Dead Sea. It is a large, landlocked salt lake located in the Jordan Rift Valley, bordered by Israel and the West Bank to the west and Jordan to the east. The Salt Sea is fed by the Jordan River and is known for its high salt content, which makes it inhospitable to marine life. In the Bible, the Salt Sea is often used as a geographical marker, particularly in relation to the boundaries of the Promised Land (Num. 34:3, 12; Josh. 15:2, 5; 18:19). It is also mentioned in the context of historical events, such as the battle between the kings of the region and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 14:3) and the extent of Jeroboam II's territorial expansion (2Ki. 14:25). The Salt Sea's unique characteristics, including its low elevation and high salinity, have made it a significant feature in the biblical landscape.
Approximate location: 31.539, 35.482 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
[Sea, The Salt, THE SALT]
SALT SEA, or DEAD SEA. Names. - This sea is called in the Scriptures the "sea of the plain," Deut 4:49; 2 Kgs 14:25; the "salt sea," Deut 3:17; Josh 3:16; 1 Chr 12:3; the "east sea," Joel 2:20; Eze 47:18; Zech 14:8; and "the sea." Eze 47:8. It also appears as the "vale of Siddim." The Salt or Dead Sea. (After Sketch by Major Wilson.) The figures denote the depression below the Mediterranean Sea. Gen 14:3. In 2 Esd. 5:7 it appears as the "Sodomitish sea;" in the Talmud as the "sea of Sodom" and the "sea of salt;" in Josephus as the "asphaltic" and "Sodomitic lake." The title "Dead Sea" was not found in Jewish writers, but was introduced at an early period by the Greek authors. The Arabs give it the same name, but more commonly call it the Bahr Lut, or "Lake of Lot." Situation and Extent. - The Salt or Dead Sea is situated only 16 miles from Jerusalem, in a straight line, and is plainly visible from the Mount of Olives. It occupies the deepest portion of the great depression which extends from the range of Lebanon on the north to the Gulf of Akabah on the south. It lies between 31░ 6' and 31░ 46' N. lat., and 35░ 24' and 35░ 37' E. long. The sea is 46 miles long, 10 1/2 miles in its greatest width, and covers an area of nearly 300 square miles, varying somewhat with the season of the year, as the flats are submerged by the rise of water from the winter floods and laid bare by the excessive evaporation of the summer. Physical Features. - The sea is of an oblong shape, and fills the lower end of an oblong depression. The enclosing mountains on each side run due north and south in parallel lines, and overhang the sea at a height of more than 1500 feet, coming on the east side close to the water's edge. At the southern end the shore, for some 2 or 3 miles, is flat as far as…
SALT SEA, or DEAD SEA. Names. - This sea is called in the Scriptures the "sea of the plain," Deut 4:49; 2 Kgs 14:25; the "salt sea," Deut 3:17; Josh 3:16; 1 Chr 12:3; the "east sea," Joel 2:20; Eze 47:18; Zech 14:8; and "the sea." Eze 47:8. It also appears as the "vale of Siddim." The Salt or Dead Sea. (After Sketch by Major Wilson.) The figures denote the depression below the Mediterranean Sea.
Gen 14:3. In 2 Esd. 5:7 it appears as the "Sodomitish sea;" in the Talmud as the "sea of Sodom" and the "sea of salt;" in Josephus as the "asphaltic" and "Sodomitic lake." The title "Dead Sea" was not found in Jewish writers, but was introduced at an early period by the Greek authors. The Arabs give it the same name, but more commonly call it the Bahr Lut, or "Lake of Lot." Situation and Extent. - The Salt or Dead Sea is situated only 16 miles from Jerusalem, in a straight line, and is plainly visible from the Mount of Olives. It occupies the deepest portion of the great depression which extends from the range of Lebanon on the north to the Gulf of Akabah on the south. It lies between 31░ 6' and 31░ 46' N. lat., and 35░ 24' and 35░ 37' E. long. The sea is 46 miles long, 10 1/2 miles in its greatest width, and covers an area of nearly 300 square miles, varying somewhat with the season of the year, as the flats are submerged by the rise of water from the winter floods and laid bare by the excessive evaporation of the summer. Physical Features. - The sea is of an oblong shape, and fills the lower end of an oblong depression. The enclosing mountains on each side run due north and south in parallel lines, and overhang the sea at a height of more than 1500 feet, coming on the east side close to the water's edge. At the southern end the shore, for some 2 or 3 miles, is flat as far as…
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
11 verses in 5 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H4417
The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea,
Then the border will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. This will be your land, defined by its borders on all sides.”
The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
including all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan and as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.
the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,
The eastern border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern border started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan,
The border continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border.
This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.