One of the world’s greatest explorers and adventurers was Marco Polo. When he was 15 years old, he followed in his father’s footsteps east along the great Silk Road, all the way to China, in 1271. There he was received in the royal court of Kublai Khan and was overwhelmed by China and the east.
Marco was appointed the foreign emissary for Kublai Khan and travelled extensively through the empire and southeast Asia. Around 1291, Marco returned to Venice with a hoard of wonderful things that the people in Venice had never seen before; like silk, paper money, gunpowder, porcelain, coal and gemstones. But what is little known is that one of the most precious items that he brought back was salt.
And what is really surprising is that of all the treasure that he showed, it was the salt trade that the people of the famous canal city of Venice embraced and used to become wealthy as the salt merchants of Europe. Because of salt’s high value, Venice rose to economic greatness through its monopoly of the salt trade.
During the 13th century, Venice became the main naval trading link between Europe and North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. One interesting trade was with the north Africans, who used slabs of rock salt as coins too—though at 25cms or 10 inches long, they certainly weren’t convenient and wouldn’t fit comfortably in your wallet.
Well, what’s so important about salt? Join me as we travel the world to discover the importance of salt and the impact it’s made, and what it really means to be ‘the salt of the earth.’
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THE DEAD SEA
The Dead Sea is one of the most amazing and unique places on Earth, and at 423m or 1,387 feet below sea level, it’s the lowest natural place on the face of the planet. To get there we drive east from the sacred city of Jerusalem in Israel, and through the mountainous Judean Desert to the blistering hot basin of the Dead Sea.
On the way, we pass the sea-level sign. However, this sign is in the Judean desert and nowhere near the Dead Sea. So, although the sign says ‘Sea Level’ we still have to keep going down and down a long long way below sea level to reach the shores of the Dead Sea.
The beautiful blue Dead Sea is 50 km long and 15 km wide. It reaches a depth of 400 meters and covers an area of 605 square kms. Virtually all of its water comes from the Jordan River, which flows into it from the north.
But the Dead Sea has no outlet and the evaporation from the high summer temperatures causes the salt levels to rise. In Hebrew it’s called the Sea of Salt.
Today it’s the world’s saltiest body of water; in fact it’s ten times more salty than sea water. Nearly a third of it consists of dissolved salt and other minerals. But what is really amazing is that its super-saline waters make floating easy and it’s so salty you can’t sink. Some say you can even float in the Dead Sea and read a book without fear of sinking.
But it’s probably best not to drink the water or submerge your head in the Dead Sea as the many minerals in the water makes it taste extremely bitter and the saline water stings your eyes. But that doesn’t deter tens of thousands of visitors from visiting the Dead Sea every year.
WHITE GOLD
During Bible times the Dead Sea area was the main source of salt for the region. In fact, salt has been an important and integral part of nearly every culture in the history of the world.
Ancient records tell us that salt was a valuable trading item and merchants developed salt routes to transport it. Salt even came to be used as a currency known as white gold and its history has been interwoven into countless civilizations for thousands of years.
In ancient Egypt, salt was valuable as one of the key ingredients in the mummification process practiced by the Pharaohs and nobles.
In ancient Greece, salt was found in mineral deposits on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and soon became a currency for trading slaves. Through war, piracy and trade, slaves were often brought to Athens to be sold. Slaves were traded for salt and the well-known expression ‘not worth his salt’ comes from a Greek owner complaining about his slave.
Later, during the Roman Empire, salt was also used as a currency. Special salt rations or payments were given to the early Roman soldiers, and they were known as ‘salarium argentum.’ From the Latin word salarium we get the English word, ‘salary’ meaning payment for service, and that’s a word we all know well.
Surprisingly even the word salad also originated from the word ‘salt’, and began when the early Romans started salting their leafy greens and vegetables.
SALT AND POLITICS
Then in France, from 1630 to 1710, the kings developed a salt monopoly by selling the exclusive rights to produce and trade salt to a favoured few of the nobility. This resulted in a shortage of salt, and the salt tax or gabelle was introduced.
The salt tax was increased from 14 times the cost to 140 times the cost of salt production and contributed to the social unrest that led to the French Revolution.
Salt was also very important to the French military. In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte and his 600,000 soldiers invaded Russia. The military campaign only lasted six months but it ended in disaster. It is recorded that only 100,000 French troops returned safely to France.
Thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during the retreat from Moscow because they ran out of supplies, and salt to use as an antiseptic for their combat wounds.
But it’s the ‘Siberian salt mines’, in Russia that are most famous as a place of exile and hardship. The salt mines that provided salt for much of Russia operated from 1838 until their closure in 1989. Over 1.2 million political prisoners were deported to work in the mines during this time.
In India, in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a 200-mile or 320km march from his home to the Arabian Sea to collect untaxed salt for India’s poor. His famous salt march was a protest against the British law that the Indians could not collect their own salt, but had to buy it at inflated prices from the British colonial government.
Mahatma Gandhi’s defiance of the British salt laws was a way of gaining support for Indian independence. Even today in India, a gift of salt is a potent symbol of good luck and a reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s liberation of India.
EXOTIC IMAGERY
But perhaps one of the most well-known and lasting exotic images of salt comes from the salt trade in the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, where the great camel caravans laden with salt and other precious items would travel across the sandy wilderness. The famous 14th-century traveller Ibn Battuta, visited West Africa and wrote of the salt mine in Taoudenni, north of Timbuktu. Battuta wrote,
“It is a village with no attractions. A strange thing about it is that its houses and mosques are built of blocks of salt and roofed with camel skins. There are no trees, only sand in which there is a salt mine. They dig the ground and thick slabs are found in it, lying on each other as if they had been cut and stacked under the ground. A camel carries two slabs. The only people living there are the slaves of the Massufa,(or king) who dig for the salt.” (quoted in de Villiers, 121-122).
The salt slabs were unwieldy and heavy. Each block weighed up to 90kgs. Two blocks would be loaded onto each camel, and a camel caravan would have from 500 to 2000 camels during the heyday of the 9-12th centuries’.
The camel caravans would cross the western Sahara to the Sudan region where the salt was exchanged for goods such as gold, leather, animal skins, and ivory. But the supply of salt never quite met the demand.
It was such a heavy and bulky item to carry that transport costs added to its high price. Consequently, salt was often exchanged for gold dust, sometimes kilo for kilo. Hence it was ‘worth its weight in gold.’
AGE OF DISCOVERY
Now, over in North America, the practice of salting fish helped to change the then known world. At the end of the 15th century in Newfoundland the Portuguese and Spanish fleets started to use the ‘wet’ method of salting their fish onboard, while the French and English fleets used the ‘dry’ or ‘shore’ salting method of drying their catch on racks onshore.
These salting methods enabled the food to be preserved and transported to markets far from the fishing areas. Being able to preserve food during long land and sea voyages also enabled the extensive European exploration of the world.
From the discovery of North America by Christopher Columbus in 1492 to the discovery of NZ and the east coast of Australia by James Cook in 1770, the standard fare on the ships was salted beef and biscuits.
Salt even motivated the American pioneers in their Revolution against British rule. Part of the British strategy during this war was to cut off the supply of imported salt to the American rebels. But the move backfired because new homegrown salt makers rose up and became some of the unsung heroes of the War of Independence.
RELIGIOUS RITUAL
Salt trading has been part of our world from ancient times But it is interesting to note that salt has also played a vital part in religious rituals in many cultures.
In the Ancient Greeks’ religion, salt was declared to be sacred and a symbol of purity. It was sprinkled during rituals, sacrifices and offerings. Then during the new moon ceremonies, salt and water was thrown into the flames of fire creating crackling noises as an offering to their gods.
Salt still has an important place in the Jewish religion and culture. On the Sabbath, people of the Jewish faith dip their bread in salt.
Salt was included as an offering in the Jewish Temple. The Bible book of Leviticus 2:13 illustrates the requirement of salt as part of ancient Hebrew religious sacrifices. Leviticus 2:13 reads:
“Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of your covenant with God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.”
It is also a Jewish tradition to offer new homeowners three items: bread, salt and sugar. The bread, so that they never experience hunger; salt, for a flavorful life; and sugar, for sweetness in their relationship.
In the Buddhist tradition, it’s believed that salt repels evil spirits, which is why it is customary in their culture for people to throw salt over their shoulder before entering their house after a funeral: it scares off any evil spirits that may be clinging to their back.
In 1933, when the leader of the Buddhist religion in Tibet, the Dalai Lama died, he was buried sitting up in a bed of salt.
The Shinto religion in Japan also uses salt to purify an area. For example, before sumo wrestlers enter the ring for a match—which is actually an elaborate Shinto rite—a handful of salt is thrown into the centre to drive off evil spirits.
During Bible times, the Hebrew people harvested salt by pouring sea water into pits and letting the water evaporate until only the salt was left. But the salt from the Dead Sea was still the main source for obtaining salt.
BIBLICAL REFERENCES
Now, there are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible, and some of them are very interesting, so let’s consider a few of them.
Probably one of the most well-known is when Lot and his wife and two daughters were told to leave the city of Sodom. Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s command not to turn around and look back at the city that was being destroyed. When she did, she was turned into a pillar of salt, right here near the Dead Sea. You’ll find the story in the first book of the Bible; Genesis chapter 19.
In Bible times a salt covenant was a way of making an agreement between people binding and lasting. It was an ancient form of notarization. In Chronicles 13:5, it says,
“Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?”
Salt was also used to make things pure. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, Elisha uses salt to heal or make the waters of Jericho pure.
SALT OF THE EARTH
But perhaps of all the Bible references to salt, the one that we know best and that is relevant and applies to us today, is the one found in Matthew 5:13 where Jesus says:
“You are the salt of the earth.”
What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? Well, this verse in the Bible follows the Sermon on the Mount, that is often called the Beatitudes. These eight principles in the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12, are considered to be blessings and are some of the most powerful and influential words ever spoken.
Only a few people heard those words that day two thousand years ago when Jesus spoke them on a hillside beside the shores of Lake Galilee, but since then billions of people have been influenced by them. The Sermon on the Mount is a summary of how Christians should live – with each other and for God. It is a set of principles about personal relationships and how we should behave towards one another.
Following the eight attributes and blessings that Jesus outlines in the Beatitudes, the very next thing He says is,
“You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13).
Jesus is talking here about the value and influence of a good, reliable and honest person who applies these attributes to his or her life.
These people are of great worth. So, if you follow these eight guidelines then you will be as valuable and useful as salt in our world.
When society rejects God and doesn’t want to acknowledge Him, faith crumbles – and that affects the condition and overall wellbeing of that society. When there is a lack of love and concern for others, the family disintegrates. When ethics are neglected or forgotten, business, governments, and society become more prone to deception, evil, and strife.
Could this be what we are seeing in our societies today? When the way of God is suppressed, societies and cultures naturally decay and follow a path that ultimately leads to destruction.
The ancient world used salt for seasoning just like we do. Followers of Jesus are called to serve a similar role. That is Jesus’ plan. Nothing that the world offers can satisfy our souls and our societies like Jesus can.
This is very clear when considering consumerism today. “Buy this!” “Watch that!” “Eat this!” “Listen to that!” Everyone claims to have the latest and greatest product which will bring satisfaction; however, does it really bring satisfaction?
It may seem to satisfy briefly, but ultimately it leaves us unsatisfied. Nothing on this earth can truly satisfy the desire for eternity and God in our hearts. People may go from product to product, job to job, and relationship to relationship – only to find themselves unfulfilled. Humanity is doomed to continually run after the next thing, searching for happiness.
But when the world looks at believers in Jesus, they should see something different – a better way. They should see the ‘salt of the earth.’- good, honest, reliable, trustworthy and loving people. The believer’s lifestyle should be like salt to those who are unsatisfied in the world.
We’ve seen that around the world and throughout history, societies have valued and treasured salt. Why? Because salt seasons and enhances the flavour of food. Salt is a preservative that keeps food from spoiling. Salt is used as a cleansing agent, to kill germs and therefore aids in the healing process. And it’s those attributes that Jesus wants his people to bring to society
God wants us to be a positive influence for good in our societies. He wants us to preserve an atmosphere of love, unity and healthy personal relationships. He wants us to enrich the lives of the people we come in contact with. So be encouraged today. Remember that, like salt, you are precious, valuable, and you are the preservative that God is using in society today. So, let’s go and be the salt of the earth.
FAITH IN ACTION
I read a story recently about the time the American President Woodrow Wilson visited a barber shop. He wrote:
“I was sitting in a barber chair when I became aware that a man had come quietly in, to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered, showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I had finished my haircut, I was aware I had been with someone unique.
I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular effect that his visit had brought upon the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.”
The man who had made a difference in the barber’s shop that day was Dwight L Moody, a great Christian preacher and a man who believed in God and who believed that his faith should change his actions and behaviour towards others.
So, the question is this, “Are we the salt of the earth?” Does my presence in a shop, or my workplace or even with my family make a positive difference?
Are we making a difference in our community? Are our societies better because of our presence? Are we sharing the love of Jesus with others by our words and actions? Are we making people thirsty for Christ?
As it says in the Bible book of Colossians 4:6:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
This is an expectation and a direction of how we should be acting, and what a wonderful world it would be if we followed these precepts that Jesus set out for us. When we live as a people of blessing, we are salt – in the workplace, in our homes, and in our nation. God wants us to be blessed, to be happy. And He wants us to be a blessing to others and to make them happy.
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If you have enjoyed our visit through the world of salt, including the Dead Sea, the saltiest lake on earth, and our reflections on how those who believe in Jesus are like the salt of the earth, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to the great God of Heaven, who calls us to be the salt of the earth.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the principles of living you have given us. We pray that we will follow them and that we will make a difference in our world, just like salt does. Help us to represent you correctly in all that we do. May we be people of blessing in our homes, in our workplace, and in our nation. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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