ים המלח

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

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יַם הַמֶּלַח • (yam hamélakh) m

1. Dead Sea (a highly saline lake in Israel, Palestine and Jordan)

   Synonyms: ים המוות, ים הערבה, הים הקדמוני

   • Tanach, 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.

• → English: Salt Sea (calque)