מֶ֫לַח

# מֶלַח (melach) — Salt in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *melach* refers to salt, with nine occurrences throughout the biblical text. The lexicon identifies it specifically as "Salt (Sea)," indicating that the biblical writers understood salt primarily as a substance derived from or associated with seawater. This connection to the sea is significant, as it reflects the historical context in which ancient Israel obtained salt—a vital resource that was readily accessible from nearby bodies of saltwater rather than through mining or other extraction methods. The relatively small number of occurrences (nine instances) suggests that while salt was undoubtedly important to daily life in ancient Israel for food preservation and seasoning, it was not a dominant topic of biblical discourse. The word appears sparingly throughout the biblical corpus, which implies that when salt is mentioned, it likely carries specific significance in its particular context rather than serving merely as casual background detail. Though the provided lexicon data does not detail the specific verses or contexts where *melach* appears, the term's basic meaning as a common household and culinary substance establishes it as part of the ordinary material world reflected in biblical texts. Its identification with sea salt specifically connects the word to both the practical economics of the ancient Levantine world and the physical geography surrounding Israel.