called in the OT Sea of Salt, Gn 14, 3; 34, 3; sea of the Arabá, Dt 4, 49; eastern sea, Jl 2, 20; Ze 14, 8; the Romans called it sea of asphalt, and the mud that comes out of its bottom, bitumen from Judea; by the Arabs they call it Bahr Lut, Lot’s sea, because of its relationship with him, Abraham’s brother, since the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have traditionally been believed to be on its shores, Gn 13, 10-11; 19, 1-29. Salt lake, about 80 kilometers long and up to 18 wide, in the Jordan basin in the lowest depression on earth, so that it is the lowest extension of water on it, about 395 meters below the level from sea. It occupies the northern part of the Rift Valley. To the east is the Moab plateau, some 1,340 meters above sea level; to the west, the plateau of Judea with half the height of the previous one; its surroundings are arid. From the eastern shore a peninsula juts out into the m. M. To the south of it, the m. M. has little depth, less than 6 meters, but in the north is its maximum depth, about 396 meters. Its waters are six times saltier than that of the oceans, and due to the density of solids in its waters, the human body floats easily on its surface; there is no life in it, except for some microbes, to this it owes its names of Salty and Dead. There are several small rivers that flow into it, such as the Jordan, which enters the lake from the north; the M. M. has no outlet, but the large amount of fresh water it receives evaporates quickly due to the high temperatures in the region.
The Essenes community settled on the northwestern shore of n. M. in the region of Qirbet Qumram, where its members wrote the manuscripts that are known today as the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered from the year 1947. The fortress of Masada, located on top of a mountain, which was the last redoubt of the Zealot Jews in their anti-Roman struggle in the years 70-72, was built on the western shore.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
Called the Salt Sea (Gen 14:3), the Sea of Arabah (Deu 3:17), or the Eastern Sea (Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8) in the Scriptures. It has the lowest surface on earth, 403 m. below sea level. It occupies a geological fault that extends from Syria, through the Red Sea, to Africa and measures 78 km. for 16 km. (789 km2). On both coasts there are cliffs of 469-781 m. To the north of the bay of Lisan (Jos 15:2) the water reaches a depth of 406 m, although to the south it averages less than 3 m. The sea moves slowly forward as the muddy Jordan stretches out its northern delta. The salt concentration reaches 25%, four times that of ocean water. Magnesium bromide prevents organic life; the climate is arid and the heat is extreme.
The Dead Sea represented the eastern boundary of Israel (Num 34:12; Eze 47:18). At En-Gedi, where the main descent from Judah ends, a spring served as a refuge for David (1Sa 24:1). The Valley of Salt, south of the sea, witnessed the victories of David and Amaziah over Edom (2Ki 14:7; 1Ch 18:12) and the counter marches at the time of Jehoshaphat (2Ki 3:8-9; 2Ch 20:1-2). On the eastern shore above the Arnon, the slopes of Callirhoe served Herod the Great during his last illness; and his son Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist at Macaerus (Mark 1: 14: Mar 6:17). Kirbet Qumran, the site of the NT-time community with its famous scrolls, lies on the eastern shore above En-gedi; and opposite Lisán is Masada, the greatest natural fortress in Palestine, the place where Herod of the Parthians took refuge in 42 BC. JC and where the Zealots made the last defense of Jerusalem in 70 AD. by JC
(Jewish War 7.10.1). In modern times the Dead Sea has produced potash, but Ezekiel predicts a cure for its waters that will give abundant life in the age of God’s kingdom (Eze 47:8-10).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Lake where the waters that come through the Jordan from the Lake of Genesaret or Sea of Galilee are poured. It is about 80 km long and 18 km wide, but these measurements vary depending on the inflow of water and evaporation. Its surface is about 400 m below sea level, which is why it is considered the lowest point on inhabited land. Without natural drainage, its waters decrease by evaporation and have a very high salinity, which is greater in the part closest to the bottom. Due to its density, people can float in its waters with great ease. It is rich in sulfates and bicarbonates. It was considered one of the limits of Israel. It is also known as the Arabah Sea, the Eastern Sea and the Salt Sea. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to have been situated on what is now the southern part of the lake, estimated by scientists to have been formed by a recent geological cataclysm. The ancients also called it the Sea of Sodom. The name of the Dead Sea does not appear in the Bible. It was first used by a Greek writer and traveler named Pausanias (143-176 AD).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
dude, MARA
see, ADRITIC, BRONZE, NEO MEDITERRIA, SODOMA, GOMORRAH
sit, a3, 448, 238
vet, Name given to the body of water that the Bible calls the Salty Sea (Gen. 14:3; Nm. 34:12; Dt. 3:17; Jos. 3:16) and the Arabah Sea (Dt. 3:17 ; Josh. 3:16) and eastern sea (Ezek. 47:18; JI. 2:20; Zech. 14:8). Josephus calls it a sea of asphalt (Asphaltitis, Ant. 1:9, 1). Already from the second half of the 2nd century AD, the Greeks called it the Dead Sea (Pausanias). It is situated in the deep depression that crosses Palestine from north to south. The Jordan provides most of its water, with an average of 6 million cubic meters per day. The greatest depth of the Dead Sea is 393 m, and its level is 398 m. below the Mediterranean. The southern area, where “the cities of the plain” (see SODOM, GOMORRAH) must be buried under water, is only 2 to 6 m. deep. It has an elongated shape, which can be assimilated to that of a large rectangle, presenting on its southeast coast a peninsula called Lisán (Language) The average length of the Dead Sea from north to south is 80 km, but this length varies from throughout the year as part of the southern basin is sometimes dry and sometimes flooded. The width, slightly north of En-gedi, is just over 16 km, the surface measures about 1,000 km. The Dead Sea is surrounded by cliffs, except in the area of the entrance to the Jordan. In some places there are, between the cliffs and the water, narrow beaches. In other places, the coast is made up of the same cliffs, which rise in successive terraces, continuing along the lower Jordan Valley. To the west of the sea, near En-gedi, the cliffs dominate the coast at 594 m. Tall; a little further north, at Ras esh Shufk, they exceed 770 m. The slopes of the western coast contain bitumen in a solid state and, in certain areas, also liquid. On the eastern coast rise the rugged mountains of Moab, from 762 to 1,000 m. above the level of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is one of the most famous bodies of water on the entire surface of the Globe. There is no other sea whose surface is in such a deep area of the earth. The concentration of salt in marine waters ranges between 2 and 3%, while those of the Dead Sea have 24 to 26%. As a consequence, human bodies sink little; When they get out of the water, the skin of the bathers is covered with salt so that, if they get a scratch, it causes real pain. This concentration of salt comes from the rainwater that, falling on the mountains of Judea, reaches the sea after having passed through the salt mountains of the southwestern coast; it is also due to the nature of the background, very rich in sodium, magnesium and calcium chloride. The Jordan and its tributaries, together with other torrents that flow into the same sea, carry minerals; Since there is no way out, the salt stays and accumulates year after year, while the water disappears due to intense evaporation, accelerated by the burning desert air. The modern State of Israel has begun the industrial exploitation of its mineral wealth, and it has been calculated that its accumulation could be sufficient to supply world consumption of all the aforementioned materials for a long time. There is no known organic life in the Dead Sea. However, the presence of some fish has been reported south of the “Lisán” peninsula. According to the prophet Ezekiel, the healing of these waters, and their fish repopulation, will constitute the symbol of the regeneration achieved by the glorious establishment of the Kingdom of God (Ez. 47:6-12).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
See SALT SEA.
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
AT: “Salt Sea” (Gn. 14.3), “eastern sea” (Ez. 47.18), “sea of the Arabá” (Dt. 4.49); classical period: asphaltites, later “Dead Sea; Arabic: “Sea of Lot.”
The great cleft valley reaches its deepest point in the basin of the Dead Sea. The water surface has an average level of 427 m below sea level, and the deepest point of the bed is some 433 m lower still. It is about 77 km long, and extends from the rugged rocks of Moab to the mountains of Judah, distant about 10 to 14 km. On the western side there is a narrow bank, bordered by many embankments, what remains of previous beaches. With the exception of some slopes (eg Ain Feshkha and En-gedi, cf. Cnt. 1.14), the Jewish coast is barren and barren. From the E four main streams feed the sea: the Mojín (Arnon), the Zerqa Main, the Kerak, and the Zered. The degree of evaporation is so high (in summer the temperature reaches 43ºC) that the influx of these waters and the Jordan River serves only to keep the sea level constant. The annual rainfall is about 5 cm. Lush vegetation is found where rivers enter the sea, or where there are freshwater springs. The oases around the delta formed by the Kerak and the Zered demonstrate how fertile this basin could be (cf. Gen. 13:10), as Ezekiel saw in his vision of a river of pure water flowing from Jerusalem to sweeten the Salt Sea ( Ezek. 47.8–12).
Until the middle of the ss. XIX it was possible to wade the sea from Lisán (“tongue”), a peninsula that extends from the vicinity of Kerak up to about 3 km before reaching the opposite coast. There are traces of a road built by the Romans, which, on the border of Judea, was defended by an almost impregnable fortress (Masada) built by the Maccabees and by Herod. Towards the S of Lisan the sea is very shallow, gradually losing itself in a salt marsh (Sof. 2.9) called Sebkha.
Deposits of concentrated chemicals (salt, potash, magnesium, and calcium and bromide chloride, 25% of the water) that make the Dead Sea buoyant and have fatal effects on fish may well have ignited during an earthquake and caused The rain…