ים המלח

ים המלח

Hebrew

The shore of the Dead Sea ("Salt Sea")

Etymology

Literally, “sea of salt”, attested Biblically, from the lake's extreme salinity.

Proper noun

יַם הַמֶּלַח‎ • (Yam HaMélakh) m

1. Dead Sea
   • Genesis 14:3, with translation of Aryeh Kaplan:

     ‏כׇּל־אֵלֶּה חָבְרוּ אֶל־עֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים הוּא יָם הַמֶּלַח׃‎‎

     kol éleh ḥavrú el 'émeq ha-shiddím hu yam ha-mélaḥ

     All of these had come together in Siddim Valley (now the Dead Sea).

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avodah Zarah 3:3:

     ‏הַמּוֹצֵא כֵלִים וַעֲלֵיהֶם צוּרַת חַמָּה, צוּרַת לְבָנָה, צוּרַת דְּרָקוֹן, יוֹלִיכֵם לְיָם הַמֶּלַח.‎‎

     Ha-motzé khelím va-'aleihém tsurát ḥammá, tsurát l'vaná, tsurát draqón, yolikhém l-yam ha-mélaḥ.

     One who finds vessels which have on them the form of the sun, the form of the moon, the form of a dragon, should bring them into the Dead Sea.

Synonyms

• ים המוות‎, ים הערבה‎, הים הקדמוני‎

Descendants

• Salt Sea