Places in the Bible Today:

City of Salt

Data

Translated NamesCity of Salt, city of Salt
Typesettlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

9 Possible Identifications

  1. Qumran (modern): 35% confidence
    1. ruins at QumranQumran

  2. Mezad Gozal (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Mezad GozalMezad Gozal

  3. Ain el Ghuweir (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Ain el GhuweirAin el Ghuweir

  4. Ein et Turaba (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Ein et TurabaEin et Turaba

  5. another name for Sodom (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:
    1. panorama of hills in the region south of the Lisanin the region south of the Lisan

    2. ruins at Bab edh DhraBab edh Dhra

    3. panorama of a region north of the Dead Seain the region north of the Dead Sea

    4. panorama of Tall el HammamTall el Hammam

    5. ruins at NumeiraNumeira

  6. Tel Malhata (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. artifact from Tel MalhataTel Malhata

  7. in the region south of the Lisan (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. panorama of hills in the region south of the Lisanin the region south of the Lisan

  8. Rujm el Bahr (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. satellite view of the region around Rujm el BahrRujm el Bahr

  9. another name for Secacah (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:
    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet es SamrahKhirbet es Samrah

    2. ruins at QumranQumran

    3. panorama of Ain FeshkahAin Feshkah

Verses (1)

Josh 15:62

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com323
Logos FactbookCity of Salt
OpenBible.info (2007)City of Salt
OpenBible.infoacc1702 (City of Salt)
TIPNRCity_of_Salt@Jos.15.62
UBS Names Databaseot ID_2222
WikidataQ5123905

Sources

  1. Aharoni, Land of the Bible (1979): page 433
  2. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): City of Salt (place)
  3. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Qumran (Khirbet)
  4. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): City of Salt
  5. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): City of Salt
  6. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1974): page 185
  7. Carta Bible Atlas, 5th Edition (2011)
  8. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): City of Salt
  9. ESV Bible Atlas (2010)
  10. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): Josh 15:62
  11. Hammond Atlas of the Bible Lands (2007): Salt, City of
  12. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011): Salt, City of
  13. HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible (1991)
  14. Hess, Joshua (1996): table 11
  15. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  16. Holman Illustrated Guide to Bible Geography (2020): page 121
  17. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): City of Salt
  18. IVP Atlas of Bible History (2006): Salt, City of
  19. McKinny, Historical Geography of the Administrative Division of Judah (2014): pages 292, 294
  20. Monson, Regions on the Run (2009): map 7
  21. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): City of Salt
  22. New Bible Atlas (1985): City of Salt
  23. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Salt, City of
  24. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  25. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): City of Salt
  26. Rogerson, New Atlas of the Bible (1985): page 105
  27. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): City of Salt
  28. Woudstra, Joshua (1981): 15:61-62 note 3
  29. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Salt, City of
  30. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  31. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Bukvoed, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Adeeb Atwan, Ana al’ain, Вячеслав Ребров, Deg777, MyOlmec, Gary Todd, Mboesch

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.