Dead sea(eastern sea, salt sea, sea of the plain)
Summary
The remarkable inland lake at the lowest point on earth, formed in the Jordan valley, known in Scripture as the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Plain, and the Eastern Sea.
☩Biblical Names
Scripture never uses the name 'Dead Sea,' which first appeared in the second century A.D. The Bible calls it the Salt Sea, from its extreme salinity; the Sea of the Plain (or Arabah), from the depression in which it lies; and the Eastern Sea, distinguishing it from the Mediterranean on the west. Arabs still call it Bahr Lut, the 'Sea of Lot.'
☩Physical Description
The lake measures approximately 47 miles long and up to 10 miles wide, with its surface nearly 1,300 feet below Mediterranean sea level. Its greatest depth exceeds 1,200 feet in the northern section, though the southern portion is quite shallow. The peninsula called el-Lisan ('the tongue') projects from the eastern shore, dividing the lake into two unequal basins. The Jordan River empties into its northern end, but the water has no outlet, losing its volume only through evaporation.
☩Unusual Properties
The water is remarkably clear but extremely salty and bitter, with a density so great that the human body floats easily upon its surface. Its mineral content—roughly 25%—permits no fish, shellfish, or aquatic plants to survive; creatures washed in from the Jordan die immediately. The shore is covered with saline incrustations and occasional lumps of bitumen, giving rise to the ancient name 'Asphaltic Lake.' Volcanic evidence and warm springs suggest the catastrophic destruction of the cities of the plain.
☩Prophetic Significance
Ezekiel's vision describes a river flowing from the temple that heals the Dead Sea's waters: 'And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish.' This prophecy points to the restoration and renewal God will bring to even the most lifeless places.
Related Verses12 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Dead Sea," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Dead Sea, The," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).