Bible Word of the Day
Eastern Sea (Dead Sea, Great Salt Sea, Sea of the Arabah)
Meaning
The Eastern Sea as referenced in the Bible has been considered the Dead Sea, also called the “Great Salt Sea” or the “Sea of the Arabah.” And it marks the eastern borders of the land of Israel, based on what the twelve tribes conquered. Now it’s important understand that this is only a small part of the land God promised to the nation of Israel. In actuality they never did inherit all of the land given them. Instead, Israel became comfortable, disobeyed God and stopped their conquest of the land. Other names for the Dead Sea include the “Sea of Sodom,” the “Sea of Lot,” the “Sea of Asphalt” and the “Stinking Sea.” And in more modern times it was called the “Devil’s Sea.” All of these names reflect either something of the nature of this lake because of its high mineral content. Or refer to the Bible history surrounding the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea, unlike the Sea of Galilee to the north, does not come up that often in the Biblical accounts, however it is mentioned several times. For example, it played an important role as a barrier, blocking invasions of Judah from the east. The Ammonites and Moabites were able to cross a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat of Judah. And the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah took place in the area of the Dead Sea. The Bible in the book of Ezekiel tells us that one day the Dead Sea will be changed to fresh water and that fishermen will spread their nets along the shore. This is in reference to the Millennial Kingdom. The Dead Sea is located in the Syro-African Rift, and it’s the lowest point of dry land on earth. The shoreline of the Dead Sea is over one thousand feet below sea level. And since the lake is at the lowest point on earth, this means the lake really has no way to drain or refresh its waters. Therefore, close to seven million tons of water evaporate daily out of the lake. And with minimal water flowing into the lake it causes the build up of high mineral and salt content.
“Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side. The south side, toward the South, shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South. The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side. Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.” (Book of Ezekiel 47:17-21)
“But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” (Book of Joel 2:20)