Salt (Hastings' Dictionary)

This mineral (sodium chloride) is in such general use as a condiment to food amongst all civilized nations that it has become a necessity ; and undoubtedly it is bene- ficial in the animal economy as an antiseptic, and a preventive to the development of intestinal worms.

Even wild animals feel its necessity as well as domestic cattle; and it is well known that in former times when the bison roamed in immense herds over the plains of North America they made long journeys to the 'salt-licks,' or salinas, for the puriM>«e of licking the ground coated with this nuneral.

Salt of commerce is one of the most abuadani of substances, and is found to a greater or less eitent in nearly all countries, especially in England, Germany, Switzerland, and the Austrian Alps ; in India, "both in the salt range of the Punjab and in the great salt lake of Sambur in Rajputana; in China, and in N. America. In Euiope and the British Isles its chief source is the Triassic formation. It is also the most abundant saline ingredient in the waters of the ocean * and of most salt lakes.

On the coasts of Spain, Italy, and some other countries, salt of commerce is largely extracted from the oceanic waters by evaporation. Salt is found also in the waters of nearly all rivers. The chief source of salt in Palestine is, and always has been, the terraced hill, called Khashm Usdum, on the south-western shore of the Dead Sea (which see) ; and this trade is still carried on by the Arabs. Here a cliff of solid rock-salt from 30 to 60 ft.

high,t capped by white marl, extends for a distance of nearly 7 miles along the shore of the lake, and affords an inexhaustible supply ; while salt is also obtained from pits dug into tiie sand or slime of the shore, into which the waters of the Dead Sea are admitted and then allowed to evajiorate.

Theabundance of salt was of thegreatest use to the Israelites, not only for domestic pur- poses, but for use in the sacrifices of the temple (Lv 2'», Ezr 6», Mk Q'^); and so Antiochus tlie Great, as a reward for the alliance of the Jews in Ids wars \vith Ptolemy Philopator, bestowed upon them gifts for their sacrifices, of wine, oil, and otlier articles, amongst which were 375 medimni of salt.J Cf.

Ezk 47" (RVm), where, in the pr()i)lietio de- scription of the ideal future, after the Dead Sea as a whole has been sweetened, the marshes are still reserved for the production of salt. Salt trade was extensively carried on in ancient times along the caravan routes in Syria, Palestine, and Northern Africa. One of the chief of these was the route from the ports of Phccnicia to the Persian Gulf through Palmyra.

The Phcenicians manufactured salt by evaporation from sea-water, and used it for salting fish. Emhlcifiatic Uses vf the Term. — Owing to its purifying, sustaining, and antiseptic qualities, salt became an emblem of fidelity and friendship amongst Eastern nations. To have ' eaten of his salt,' and thus partaken of his hospitality, was (ami still is) regarded by the Arabs as a token or pledge of eternal amity.

So in the Bible it is used as an emblem of the Covenant ('a covenant of Kilt') between J" and His people (Nu 18", 2 Ch 13°). In memorable language our Lord applies the expression to His disciples : ' Ye are the j-alt of the earth' (Mt 5"). Again He says: ' Salt is good ; but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it?' and Ho concludes with the injunction : ' Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another' (Mk 9°").

Excess of saltness in the ground produces sterility ; hence a salt-land becomes emblematic of barrenness and desolation (l)t 2'J", Jer 17", Zeph 2") ; and a city when destroj'cd was sown with salt, in token that it was never again to be re- stored. Thus it hai)i)ened in the case of Shechem when captured by Abimelech (Jg 9"). E. UxjhL.