SALT OF THE EARTH

Matthew 5:13 (American Standard Version)

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.

Along the shore of the Dead Sea the water evaporated and crusts of salt formed on the shore and on the shallow lake bottom.  Inland, far from the salty seas, salt was of great value as it is an important mineral supplement.  King Herod traded salt.  He had built forts on both sides of the Dead Sea.  Some Roman soldiers were paid partially in salt rations; it was their salary, taken from the Roman words sal dare, “to give salt”.   

While salt is a valuable commodity; excessive salt intake is linked to high blood pressure.  Some high blood pressure was caused by a cholesterol buildup in the arteries often accompanying obesity or as a hereditary condition.   

Some processed foods contained elevated amounts of sodium, more than in raw fruits and vegetables.

Dead Sea Shore with white salt grains on bottom of lake, January 2005

Cubic crystals of salt formed on a rock, January 2005

April 2005

This is a photo of Mt. Sodom between Masada and the Dead Sea Salt Works factory at the southern end of the Dead Sea in Israel.  There were nearly vertical layers of salt rock visible between the abandoned house and the open face salt mine to the right. 

Rock salt (NaCl) is the mineral halite,  April 2005

Parable of the Mustard Seed
     A Mustard Field Along Highway 87-North Shore of Galilee
     Mustard Seeds in the Palm of a Hand
     A Branching Mustard Plant Near the Jordan River/Bethsaida
     Mustard Field March 1999
     Mustard Flowers
     Chukar Partridges
Upper Most Seats of the Synagogue
The Fig Tree
     Mt of Olives Fig Tree April 12-13, 2005
     Fig and Pomegranate trees below Siloam in Jerusalem
     Israel Photos II fig tree page
     Sycomore Fig Tree
The Good Shepherd
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
     Goat Herder
Camels
Eye of the Needle
Ritual Cleansing
Shechem
     The Olive Harvest of Samaria
     Mt. Ebal
     Olive Tree
Pearl of Great Price
A First Century Synagogue at Gamala
     View from the Vulture Overlook
     Overview of Gamala
     Roman Artillery Replica
A First Century Boat on Display at Kibbutz Ginosaur
     Modern Galilee Fishing Boats
Kursi
     Caves
     Steep Slope near the Lake
Hippos
Feeding the 5,000
     On the Mountain
     Walking on Water
     Ramot-Zelon area
     Alternate location
Mt. Hermon
The Pool(s) of Bethesda in Jerusalem
     Healing Pools
     Southern Pool
     Crusader Chapel and St. Anne's Church
The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem
     Gihon Spring
     Hezekiah's Tunnel
     Overlook of  Siloam
Tower of Siloam
A Watch Tower in a Vineyard/Olive Grove
     Grape Vines at Beth Horan
     Towers
Mt. Precipice
     South Face
     Summit
     Over the edge
     Measuring Line
     View of Nazareth from near Megiddo
Nazareth
     The Basilica of the Annunciation 
Capernaum   
Healing a Paralytic in Capernaum
Bethsaida    
First Century Artifacts from Qumran and Masada
     Qumran -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century glassware
     Masada -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century stoneware
Waterskins and Wineskins
The Fish and the Coin
A Denarius
Casting out a demon
The Road to Jericho
     Old Roman Road
     Wilderness Above Jericho
     Old Jericho
Western Wall
Gethsemane and the Cave of  Gethsemane
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Rolling Stone Tombs - Jerusalem
     Other Rolling Stone Tombs
Tiberias
Solar Power in Israel
Salt of the earth
Chorazin

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