Difference between revisions of "Sea"

<p> The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, &nbsp;Job 14:11; as to the lakes of [[Tiberias]] and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, &nbsp;Isaiah 11:15 &nbsp; 18:2 &nbsp; 21:1 &nbsp; Jeremiah 51:36,42 . The principal seas mentioned in [[Scripture]] are the following: </p> <p> 1. The [[Great Sea]]  the Mediterranean, called also the [[Hinder]] or Western Sea. Indeed, the [[Hebrew]] word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea &nbsp;Isaiah 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast and northwest the rest of the year. </p> <p> 2. The &nbsp;Exodus 10:19 &nbsp; 13:18 &nbsp; Psalm 106:7,9,22 , derived its name from Edom, which lay between it and Palestine; or from the hue of the mountains on its western coast, or of the animalcule which float in masses on its surface. It lies between [[Arabia]] on the east and northeast, and Abyssinia and Egypt on the west and southwest, and extends from the straits of Babelmandel to Suez, a distance of about 1,400 miles, with an average width of 150 miles, and a depth of 1,800 feet. At the northern end it is divided into the two gulfs [[Suez]] and Akaba, anciently called the [[Gulf]] of Heroopolis and the Elanitic Gulf. The first of these &nbsp;Isaiah 190 miles in length and the second &nbsp; Isaiah 100 miles. Between these gulfs lies the celebrated peninsula of Mount Sinai. That of Akaba is connected with the [[Dead]] Sea by the great sand valley [[El]] [[Arabah]] described under the article &nbsp; Zechariah 10:11 , both the Red Sea and the Nile appear to be mentioned. </p> <p> 3. The &nbsp;Genesis 14:3; The sea of the Plain, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 4:40; The Eastern sea, &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8; by the [[Greeks]] and Romans, lake Asphaltites; and by the modern Arabs, The sea of Lot. It lay at the southeast corner of the [[Holy]] Land, and receives the wastes of the Jordan from the north, and of the [[Arnon]] and several smaller streams from the east. It is over forty miles long, and eight or nine miles wide, and lies as in a chaldron between bare limestone cliffs, which rise on the west side 1,200 or 1,500 feet above its surface, and on the east side 2,000 feet or more. At the south end is a broad and low valley, overflowed after the annual rains. The general aspect of the region is dreary, sterile, and desolate; but at a few points there are brooks or fountains of fresh water, which in their way to the sea pass through spots of luxuriant verdure, the abode of birds in great numbers. </p> <p> The waters of the Dead Sea are clear and limpid, but exceedingly salt and bitter. Their specific gravity exceeds that of all other waters known, being one-fifth or one-fourth greater than that of pure water. They are found by repeated analyses to contain one-fourth their weight of various salts, chiefly the chlorides of magnesium and sodium. Salt also is deposited by evaporation on the shore, or on garments wet in the sea. In the bed of the sea it is found in crystals and near the shore in incrustation deposited on the bottom. No fish can live in these acrid waters, and those which are brought down by the Jordan quickly die. Compare &nbsp;Ezekiel 47:8-10 , where the healing of this deadly sea, and its abounding in fish, as well as the new fertility and beauty of the dreary wilderness between it and Jerusalemby means of the healing power of the [[Kidron]] flowing from beside that altar of Godforcibly illustrate the healing and renovating power of gospel grace. </p> <p> A person unacquainted with the art of swimming floats at ease upon the surface of lake Asphaltites, and it requires an effort to submerge the body. The boat of [[Lieutenant]] Lynch met with a gale on entering it from the Jordan; and "it seemed at if the bows, so dense was the water, were encountering the sledgehammers of the Titans, instead of the opposing waves of an angry sea." </p> <p> At times, and especially after earthquakes, quantities of asphaltum are dislodged from the bottom, rise and float on the surface, and are driven to the shores, where the Arabs collect them for various uses. Sulphur is likewise found on the shores and a kind of stone or coal, called Musca by the Arabs, which on being rubbed exhales an intolerable odor. This stone, which also comes from the neighboring mountains, is black, and takes a fine polish. Maundrell saw pieces of it two feet square, in the convent of St. John in the Wilderness, carved in bas-relief, and polished to as great a lustre as black marble is capable of. The inhabitants of the country employ it in other places of public resort. In the polishing its disagreeable odor is lost. When placed by Mr. King upon hot coals, a strong stench of sulphur issued from it, and it soon began to blaze. The blaze rose four or five inches high, and continued about two minutes. </p> <p> An uncommon love of exaggeration is observable in all the older narratives, and in some of modern date, respecting the nature and properties of the Dead Sea. Chateaubriand speaks of a "dismal sound proceeding from this lake of death, like the stifled clamors of the people ingulfed in its water," and says that its shores produce a fruit beautiful to the sight, but containing nothing but ashes; and that the heavy metals float on the surface of the sea. Others allege that black and sulphurous exhalations are constantly issuing from the water, and that birds attempting to fly across it are struck dead by its pestiferous fumes. These legends are corrected by more reliable accounts, which show that the birds fly over or float upon the sea uninjured; that no vapor is exhaled from its surface, except that caused by the rapid evaporation or its waters under the hot sun; and that the low level and excessive heat of the valley of the Jordan and the Dead Sea account for the diseases prevailing there, without imagining any more fearful cause. The "apostle of Sodom" above referred to by Chateaubriand, and described by [[Josephus]] and others answer, with some exaggerations, to fruits now growing around the Dead Sea. </p> <p> In 1848, Lieutenant Lynch of the United States' navy passed down the Jordan from the Sea of Tiberias, with two metallic boats, and spent three weeks in a survey of the Sea of Sodom. He found it nearly 1,300 feet deep and its surface more than 1,300 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. From the eastern side, some eight miles from the south end, a low promontory projects three-fourths of the way towards the western cliffs, and sends up a point five miles towards the north. Below this point the lake becomes suddenly shallow, the southern bay not averaging more than twelve or fifteen feet in depth, &nbsp;Joshua 15:2 . </p> <p> This lower part is believed to cover the sites of the cities destroyed by fire from heaven, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim. The vale of [[Siddim]] was once a smiling plain, well-watered, and like a garden of the Lord, &nbsp;Genesis 13:10; it is now, and for all future ages, a monument of his just indignation, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 29:23 , and an awful warning to reckless sinners that the day of the Lord will come upon them also suddenly and without remedy, &nbsp;Matthew 10:15 &nbsp; 11:22-24 &nbsp; 2 Peter 2:4-9 &nbsp; Jude 1:7 . The bottom of the shallow bay is a deep slimy mud, &nbsp;Genesis 14:10 . On its southwest border lies a mountain or ridge composed chiefly of rock salt, and called Usdum or Sodom, between which and the sea stands a round pillar of salt forty feet high, reminding one of Lot's wife. </p> <p> At present the Dead Sea has no perceptible outlet, and the waters poured into it by the Jordan are probably evaporated by the intense heat of the unclouded sun, or in part absorbed in the earth. It is thought by some that the northern and principal part of the sea was the product of some convulsion of nature, long before that which destroyed [[Sodom]] and formed the south bay; that the Jordan at first flowed into the Red Sea through the remarkable crevasse which extends from its sources to the Gulf of Akabah; and that at some period beyond the reach of history, its bed and valley sunk down to their present level and formed the Dead Sea. Lieutenant Lynch in sounding discovered a ravine in the bed of the sea, corresponding to the channel of the Jordan in its valley north of the sea. See [[Jordan]] . </p> <p> 4. The SEA OF TIBERIAS or of Galilee; the lake of Gennesareth, or of Cimmereth, &nbsp;Numbers 34:11 , is so called from the adjacent country, or from some of the principal cities on its shores. It resembles, in its general appearance, the Lake of [[Geneva]] in Switzerland, though not so large. The Jordan passes through it from north to south. It is twelve or fourteen miles long, six or seven miles in breadth, and 165 feet deep. Its waters lie in a deep basin, surrounded on all sides by rounded and beautiful hills, from 500 to 1,000 feet high, except the narrow entrance and outlet of the Jordan at either end. Its sheltered location protects it in some degree from the wind, but it is liable to sudden squalls and whirlwinds, and many travellers on its shores have met with violent tempests-reminding them of those encountered by Christ and his disciples. A strong current marks the passage of the Jordan through the middle of the lake, on its way to the Dead Sea. The volcanic origin of the basin of this lake is strongly inferred from numerous indications, such as the black basaltic rocks which abound, frequent and violent earthquakes, and several hot springs. According to Lieutenant Symonds, it &nbsp;Isaiah 328 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. Lieutenant Lynch makes it 653 feet below. Its waters are clear and sweet, and contain various kinds of excellent fish in great abundance. The appearance of the sea from the hills on the western shore is far less grand and more beautiful than that of the Dead Sea. It should be seen in spring, when the hills around it are clothed with grain and festooned wit flowers. The towns that once crowed its shores with a teeming population, the groves and shrubbery that covered its hills, and the boats and galleys that studded its surface are gone. But the sea remains, hallowed by many scenes described in the gospels. The [[Saviour]] of mankind often looked upon its quiet beauty and crossed it in his journeys; he stilled its waves by a word, and hallowed its shores by his miracles and teachings. Here several of the apostles were called to become "fishers of men," &nbsp; Matthew 4:18 &nbsp; 14:22 &nbsp; Luke 8:22 &nbsp; John 21:1 . </p> <p> "How pleasant to me thy deep blue wave, </p> <p> [[O]] sea of Galilee, </p> <p> For the glorious One who came to save </p> <p> Hath often stood by thee. </p> <p> O [[Savior]] gone to God's right hand, </p> <p> Yet the same Savior still, </p> <p> [[Graved]] on thy heart is this lovely strand </p> <p> And every fragrant hill." </p> <p> M'CHEYNE. </p> <p> 5. [[Sea]] or [[Waters Of Merom]] See [[Merom]] . </p> <p> The BRAZEN or [[Molten Sea]] made by [[Solomon]] for the temple, was </p> <p> a circular vessel at least fifteen feet in diameter, which stood in </p> <p> the court of the temple, and contained three thousand baths, </p> <p> according to &nbsp;2 Corinthians 4:5 , or two thousand baths according to 1Ki </p> <p> 7:26. Calmet supposes this may be reconciled by saying that the cup </p> <p> or bowl contained two thousand baths, and the foot or basin a </p> <p> thousand more. It was supported by twelve oxen of brass, and was </p> <p> probably the largest brazen vessel ever made-an evidence of the skill </p> <p> of the workers in metal at that period. It contained from 16,000 to </p> <p> 24,000 gallons, and was supplied with water either by the labor of </p> <p> the Gibeonites, or as [[Jewish]] writers affirm, by a pipe from the well </p> <p> of Etam, so that a constant flow was maintained. This water was used </p> <p> for the various ablutions of the priests, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:6; a perpetual </p> <p> and impressive testimony from God of the necessity of moral </p> <p> purification in the inexhaustible foundation of Christ's grace. The </p> <p> preceding engraving must be chiefly imaginary. </p>

<div> '''A — 1: '''''Θάλασσα''''' ''' (Strong'S #2281 — Noun [[Feminine]] — thalassa — thal'-as-sah ) </div> <p> is used (a) chiefly literally, e.g., "the Red Sea," &nbsp;Acts 7:36; &nbsp;1—Corinthians 10:1; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:29; the "sea" of [[Galilee]] or Tiberias, &nbsp;Matthew 4:18; &nbsp;15:29; &nbsp;Mark 6:48,49 , where the acts of Christ testified to His Deity; &nbsp;John 6:1; &nbsp;21:1; in general, e.g., &nbsp;Luke 17:2; &nbsp;Acts 4:24; &nbsp;Romans 9:27; &nbsp;Revelation 16:3; &nbsp;18:17; &nbsp;20:8,13; &nbsp;21:1; in combination with No. 2, &nbsp;Matthew 18:6; (b) metaphorically, of "the ungodly men" described in &nbsp;Jude 1:13 (cp. &nbsp; Isaiah 57:20 ); (c) symbolically, in the apocalyptic vision of "a glassy sea like unto crystal," &nbsp;Revelation 4:6 , emblematic of the fixed purity and holiness of all that appertains to the authority and judicial dealings of God; in &nbsp;Revelation 15:2 , the same, "mingled with fire," and, standing by it (RV) or on it (AV and RV marg.), those who had "come victorious from the beast" (ch. 13); of the wild and restless condition of nations, &nbsp;Revelation 13:1 (see &nbsp; Revelation 17:1,15 ), where "he stood" (RV) refers to the dragon, not John (AV); from the midst of this state arises the beast, symbolic of the final gentile power dominating the federated nations of the Roman world (see Dan., chs. 2; 7; etc.). </p> &nbsp;Deuteronomy 30:13&nbsp;Romans 10:7[[Bottom]] <div> '''A — 2: '''''Πέλαγος''''' ''' (Strong'S #3989 — Noun Neuter — pelagos — pel'-ag-os ) </div> <p> "the deep sea, the deep," is translated "the depth" in &nbsp;Matthew 18:6 , and is used of the "Sea of Cilicia" in &nbsp;Acts 27:5 . See [[Depth]] , No. 2. Pelagos signifies "the vast expanse of open water," thalassa, "the sea as contrasted with the land" (Trench, Syn., xiii). </p> <div> '''B — 1: '''''Ἐνάλιος''''' ''' (Strong'S #1724 — Adjective — enalios — en-al'-ee-os ) </div> <p> "in the sea," lit., "of, or belonging to, the salt water" (from hals, "salt"), occurs in &nbsp;James 3:7 . </p> <div> '''B — 2: '''''Παράλιος''''' ''' (Strong'S #3882 — Adjective — paralios — par-al'-ee-os ) </div> <p> "by the sea," &nbsp;Luke 6:17 : see Coast. </p> <div> '''B — 3: '''''Παραθαλάσσιος''''' ''' (Strong'S #3864 — Adjective — parathalassios — par-ath-al-as'-see-os ) </div> <p> "by the sea," &nbsp;Matthew 4:13 , see [[Coast]] , Note 2. </p> <div> '''B — 4: '''''Διθάλασσος''''' ''' (Strong'S #1337 — Adjective — dithalassos — dee-thal'-as-sos ) </div> <p> primarily signifies "divided into two seas" (dis, "twice," and thalassa); then, "dividing the sea," as of a reef or rocky projection running out into the "sea," &nbsp;Acts 27:41 . </p>

<p> <em> Yâm </em> ( '''''יָם''''' , Strong'S #3220), “sea; ocean.” This word has cognates in Aramaic, Akkadian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, and Ethiopic. It occurs about 390 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. </p> <p> This word refers to the body of water as distinct from the land bodies (continents and islands) and the sky (heavens): “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is …” (Exod. 20:11). Used in this sense <em> yâm </em> means “ocean.” This is its meaning in Gen. 1:10, its first biblical appearance; unlike the use in the singular, where the word is a collective noun, it appears here in the plural: “And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas.…” </p> <p> <em> Yâm </em> may be used of “seas,” whether they are salty or fresh. The Great Sea is the Mediterranean: “From the wilderness and this [[Lebanon]] even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast” (Josh. 1:4). This sea is also called the sea of the [[Philistines]] (Exod. 23:31) and the hinter or western sea (Deut. 11:24; KJV, “uttermost sea”). The Dead Sea is called the Salt Sea (Gen. 14:3), the Arabah (Deut. 3:17; KV, “plain”), and the east sea (Ezek. 47:18). Thus, <em> yâm </em> can be used of an inland salty “sea.” It can also be used of a fresh water “sea” such as the Sea of Galilee: “… And the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the Sea of [[Chinnereth]] eastward” (Num. 34:11). </p> <p> The word is sometimes used of the direction west or westward, in the sense of toward the (Great) Sea: “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward” (Gen. 13:14). In Gen. 12:8 <em> yâm </em> means “on the west side”: “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and [[Hai]] on the east.…” This word can also refer to a side of something and not just a direction, but it is the side that faces westward: “He turned about to the west side …” (Ezek. 42:19). Exod. 10:19 uses <em> yâm </em> as an adjective modifying “wind”: “And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts.…” </p> <p> <em> Yâm </em> is used of the great basin immediately in front of the Holy Place: “And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the [[Chaldees]] break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon” (2 Kings 25:13). This is also called the “sea” of cast metal (1 Kings 7:23; KJV, “molten sea”) or simply the “sea” (Jer. 27:19). </p> <p> <em> Yâm </em> is used of mighty rivers such as the Nile: “And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up” (Isa. 19:5). This statement occurs in the middle of a prophecy against Egypt. Therefore, “the river” is the Nile. But since the term “river” is in synonymous parallelism to “the sea,” this latter term also refers to the Nile. Ezek. 32:2 uses <em> yâm </em> of the branches of the Nile: “… And thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.” This word can also be used of the [[Euphrates]] River (Jer. 51:36). </p> <p> In some instances the word <em> yâm </em> may represent the [[Canaanite]] god Yamm, “which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). If understood as a statement about Yamm, this passage would read: “and tramples upon the back of Yamm.” The parallelism between “heavens” and “seas,” however, would lead us to conclude that the reference here is to the literal “sea.” Ps. 89:9- 10 is a more likely place to see a mention of Yamm, for there the word is identified as one of God’s enemies in immediate proximity to the goddess Rahab: “Thou rulest the raging of the sea [Yamm]: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou hast broken [[Rahab]] in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.” Especially note Job 7:12: “Am I a sea [Yamm], or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?” (cf. Job 26:12; Ps. 74:13). </p>

<p> The seas referred to in scripture are: </p> <p> 1. THE MEDITERRANEAN,under the names of 'the great sea,' &nbsp;Numbers 34:6,7; &nbsp;Ezekiel 48:28; 'the uttermost sea,' or 'the hinder sea,' &nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8; 'the sea of Joppa,' &nbsp;Ezra 3:7; 'sea of the Philistines,' &nbsp;Exodus 23:31 . </p> <p> The [['Sea Of Cilicia And]] PAMPHYLIA,'&nbsp;Acts 27:5 , is the N.E. corner of the Mediterranean Sea. </p> <p> 2. THE SALT SEA,&nbsp;Numbers 34:3,12; also called 'the east sea,' &nbsp;Ezekiel 47 :18; &nbsp;Joel 2:20; 'the former sea,' &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8; 'the sea of the plain,' &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:17; &nbsp;Joshua 3:16; &nbsp;Joshua 12:3; &nbsp;2 Kings 14:25 . See [[Salt Sea]]  </p> <p> 3. THE RED SEA,&nbsp;Exodus 10:19; &nbsp;Psalm 106:7,9,22; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:29; alsocalled 'the [[Egyptian]] sea,' &nbsp;Isaiah 11:15 . See RED SEA. </p> <p> 4. THE SEA OF GALILEE,&nbsp;Mark 1:16; also called the 'Sea of Tiberias,' &nbsp;John 21:1; the 'Sea of Chinnereth,' &nbsp;Numbers 34:11; &nbsp;Joshua 12:3; &nbsp;Joshua 13 :27; the 'Lake of Gennesaret,' &nbsp;Luke 5:1 . See [[Galilee, Sea Of]]  </p> <p> 5. SEA OF JAZER,a small lake in Gilead, now represented by someponds, near where Jazer stood. &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:32 . </p>

<p> '''''Yam''''' . </p> <p> '''(1)''' The ocean in general (&nbsp;Genesis 1:2; &nbsp;Genesis 1:10; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 30:13). </p> <p> '''(2)''' The Mediterranean, with the article; "the hinder," "western," or "utmost sea" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24); "the sea of the Philistines," "the great sea" (&nbsp;Exodus 23:31; &nbsp;Numbers 34:6-7). </p> <p> '''(3)''' The Red Sea (&nbsp;Exodus 15:4). </p> <p> '''(4)''' Inland lakes, as the Salt or Dead Sea. </p> <p> '''(5)''' The Nile flood, and the Euphrates (&nbsp;Isaiah 19:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 51:36). In &nbsp;Deuteronomy 28:68, "Jehovah shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships," explain, thou didst cross the sea, the waves parting before thee, in leaving Egypt; thou shalt return confined in slave ships. </p>

<p> (Heb. '''''יָם''''' , ''Yam;'' Chahl. '''''יַמָּא''''' , ''Yamma; '''''Θάλασσα''''' '' ), as opposed to land or earth ( '''''אֶרֶצ''''' , ''Erets,'' &nbsp;Genesis 1:10), in which all the waters of the earth are included, originated by the separation of its waters from those of the air, or the clouds (vet. 6 sq.). The sea is represented as deep (&nbsp;Psalms 68:23; &nbsp;Micah 7:19; &nbsp;Amos 9:3; &nbsp;Job 38:16), wide (11:9), and mighty (&nbsp;Psalms 104:25; &nbsp;Job 7:12; &nbsp;Lamentations 2:13); surrounding the earth at its utmost bounds (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 30:13; &nbsp;Psalms 139:9; comp. the ancient Greek view of ''Oceanus, '''''Ὠκέανος''''' ,'' Fubiger, ''Handb. D. Alt. Geogr.'' i, 4); the earth, indeed, resting on the ocean (&nbsp;Psalms 24:2). The surface (comp. '''''Βυθός''''' , the deep, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 11:25) is roused by winds (&nbsp;Daniel 7:2; comp. &nbsp;Jonah 1:11; &nbsp;Jonah 1:13) into waves ( '''''גַּלִּים''''' , &nbsp;Psalms 65:8; &nbsp;Psalms 107:25; &nbsp;Isaiah 66:18; '''''Κύματα''''' '','' &nbsp;Judges 1:13; '''''Κλύδων''''' , &nbsp;James 1:6), so that it roars and rages (&nbsp;Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 1, 42; &nbsp;Isaiah 5:30; &nbsp;Isaiah 57:20; &nbsp;Psalms 96:11; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 16:32), and is only subject to God (&nbsp;Job 38:11; &nbsp;Psalms 89:10). The countless inhabitants of the sea (&nbsp;James 3:7, &nbsp;Revelation 8:8 sq.) are given to men for food (&nbsp;Genesis 9:2 sq.),but the people of God may only eat those which are legally clean (&nbsp;Leviticus 11:9 sq.). On the coasts of the sea (Heb. ''Samah', '''''שָׂמָה''''' '' ) lie great lands; and the ''Sand Of The Sea'' ( '''''חוֹל''''' ; Gr. '''''Ἄμμος''''' ) ''Is'' proverbial for multitude (&nbsp;Genesis 22:17; &nbsp;Joshua 11:4; &nbsp;2 Samuel 17:11; &nbsp;Job 29:18; &nbsp;Hosea 1:10; &nbsp;1 [[Maccabees]] 11:1; &nbsp;Revelation 20:8, etc.; Homer, ''Iliad, 9:'' 885; Callim. ''Dish.'' p. 252; Ovid, Trist. 4:1, 55; Ars Am. i, 254. Comp. Pindar, Olymp. ii, 178; Calpurn. ii, 72. See also Gesen. Thesaur. p. 598 sq.). </p> <p> It may be remarked that almost all the figures of speech taken from the sea in Scripture refer either to its power or its danger, and among the woes threatened in punishment of disobedience, one may be remarked as significant of the dread of the sea entertained by a non-seafaring people, the being brought back into Egypt "in ships" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 28:68). The national feeling on this subject may be contrasted with that of the Greeks in reference to the sea. No mention of the tide is found in Scripture. </p> <p> The above Heb. word, '''''יָם''''' , ''Yam,'' is sometimes connected with '''''תְּהוֹן''''' , ''Tehom'' ( '''''Ἄβυσσος''''' , abyssus, "the deep," &nbsp;Genesis 1:2; &nbsp;Jonah 2:5). It also means the [[West]] (Gesen. ''Thesaur.'' p. 360, 598). When used for the sea, it very often, but not always, takes the article. Other words for the sea (in the A.V. "deep") are: '''''מְצוּלָה''''' , ''Metsulah,'' or '''''מְצוֹלָה''''' , ''Metsolah'' (only in the plural), or '''''צוּלָה''''' , ''Tsulah'' simply ( '''''Ἄβυσσος''''' , '''''Βάθος''''' '', Abyssus, Profundum'' ) '';'' '''''מַבּוּל''''' , mabbul ( '''''Κατακλυσμός''''' '', Diluvium,'' "water-flood," &nbsp;Psalms 29:10).. Smaller pools were distinguished into '''''אֲגָם''''' , ''Ogdm,'' a natural pool or pond (evil, 35; &nbsp;Psalms 114:8; &nbsp;Isaiah 35:7; &nbsp;Isaiah 41:18, etc.), and '''''בְּרֵכָה''''' , ''Berekah,'' the same as the Arabic ''Birkeh;'' an artificial pool or reservoir (&nbsp;2 Samuel 2:13; &nbsp;2 Samuel 4:12; &nbsp;Nahum 2:9). </p> <p> The following are the applications Of the term yam in Scripture: </p> <p> '''1.''' The "gathering of the waters" ( ''Yammin'' ) '','' encore-passing the land, or what we call in a more or less deft-nite sense "the Ocean." In this sense the term is used in &nbsp;Genesis 1:2; &nbsp;Genesis 1:10, and elsewhere, as &nbsp;Deuteronomy 30:13; &nbsp;1 Kings 10:22; &nbsp;Psalms 24:2; &nbsp;Job 26:8; &nbsp;Job 26:12; &nbsp;Job 38:8; see Homer, Iliad, 14:301, 302; Hesiod, Theog. 107, 109; and &nbsp;2 Peter 3:5. </p> <p> '''2.''' The word is used, with the article, of some definite part of the great circumambient water, viz.: </p> <p> '''(a.)''' Of the ''Mediterranean Sea,'' called the "hinder" ( '''''אַחֲרוֹן''''' ), the "western," and the "utmost" sea (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:2; &nbsp;Joel 2:20); "sea of the Philistines" (&nbsp;Exodus 23:31); "the great sea" (&nbsp;Numbers 34:6-7; &nbsp;Joshua 15:47); "the sea" (&nbsp;Genesis 49:13; &nbsp;Psalms 80:11; evil, 23; &nbsp;1 Kings 4:20, etc.). (See Mediterranean). </p> <p> '''(b.)''' Also frequently of the [[Red Sea]] (&nbsp;Exodus 15:4; &nbsp;Joshua 24:6), or one of its gulfs (&nbsp;Numbers 11:31; &nbsp;Isaiah 11:15), and perhaps (&nbsp;1 Kings 10:22) the sea traversed by Solomon's fleet. (See Red Sea). </p> <p> The place "where two seas met" ( '''''Τόπος''''' '''''Διθάλασσος''''' , &nbsp;Acts 27:41) is explained by Conybeare and Howson as a place where the island Salmonetta, off the coast of Malta, in St. Paurs Bay, so intercepts the passage from the sea without to the bay within as to give the appearance of two seas, just as [[Strabo]] represents the appearance of the entrance from the [[Bosphorus]] into the Euxine; but it seems quite as likely that by the "place of the double sea" is meant one where two currents, caused by the intervention of the island, met and produced an eddy, which made it desirable at once to ground the ship (Conybeare and Howson, 5, 423; Strabo, ii, 124). </p> <p> '''3.''' The term is also applied to the great internal [[Lakes]] of Palestine, whether fresh or salt; e.g. </p> <p> '''(a.)''' ''The Sea Of Chinnereth,'' '''''יַם''''' '''''כִּנֶּרֶת''''' (&nbsp;Numbers 34:11), called in the New Test. "the Sea of Galilee" (&nbsp;Matthew 4:18), the "Sea of Tiberias" (&nbsp;John 21:1), and ''"The'' sea (or lake) of Gennesareth" (&nbsp;Matthew 14:34; &nbsp;Mark 6:53; &nbsp;Luke 5:17), which last is but a variation of the Hebrew name. (See [[Sea Of Galilee]]). </p> <p> '''(b.)''' ''The Dead Sea,'' called in Scripture the ''Salt Sea,'' '''''יָם''''' '''''הָמֶּלַח''''' (&nbsp;Genesis 14:3), the Sea of the Plain, or the Arabah, '''''יָם''''' '''''חָעֲרָבָה''''' (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 4:40), and the Eastern Sea, '''''הַיָּם''''' '''''חַקַּדְמֹנִי''''' (&nbsp;Joel 2:20; &nbsp;Ezekiel 47:18; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8). It is not named or alluded to in the New Test. It is called by Josephus (War, iii, 10, ''7'' ) '''''Λίμνη''''' '''''Ασφαλτίτης''''' , by which name, or in the Latin form of ''Lacus Asphaltites,'' it was known to the classical writers. (See [[Salt Sea]]). </p> <p> '''(c.)''' ''The Lake Merom'' is named once only in Scripture, where it is called </p> <p> '''''מֵי''''' '''''מְרוֹם''''' , [[Waters Of Merom]] (&nbsp;Joshua 11:5; &nbsp;Joshua 11:7). By Josephus it is called ''Semechonitis'' ( '''''Σεμεχωνίτις''''' , Ant. v, 5, 1), and at present bears the name of ''Huleh:'' this is the uppermost and smallest of the three lakes on the Jordan. (See Merom). </p> <p> '''4.''' The term yam, like the Arabic ''Bahr,'' is also applied to great rivers, as the Nile (&nbsp;Isaiah 19:5; &nbsp;Amos 8:8, A.V. "flood;" &nbsp;Nahum 3:8; &nbsp;Ezekiel 32:2) and the Euphrates (&nbsp;Jeremiah 51:36). See Stanley, ''Syr. And Pal.'' App. p. 533; Hackett, ''Illust. Of Script,'' p. 119. </p> <p> '''5.''' Finally, the great copper ( '''''נְחשֶׁת''''' ) or molten ( '''''מוּצָק''''' ) laver, which stood in the court of Solomon's Temple, is called a yam (&nbsp;1 Kings 7:23-44; &nbsp;2 Kings 16:17, etc.). (See [[Brazen Sea]]); (See [[Laver]]) </p>

<p> ''''' sē ''''' ( ים , <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> ; θάλασσα , <i> ''''' thálassa ''''' </i> ; in &nbsp; Acts 27:5 πέλαγος , <i> ''''' pélagos ''''' </i> ): The Mediterranean is called <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' gādhōl ''''' </i> , "the great sea" (&nbsp;Numbers 34:6; &nbsp;Joshua 1:4; &nbsp;Ezekiel 47:10 , etc.); <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' 'aḥărōn ''''' </i> , "the hinder," or "western sea" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:24; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:2; &nbsp;Joel 2:20; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8 ); <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' pelishtı̄m ''''' </i> , "the sea of the Philis" (&nbsp;Exodus 23:31 ); the King James Version translates <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' yāphō' ''''' </i> in &nbsp;Ezra 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly. </p> <p> The Dead Sea is called <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' hā ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' melaḥ ''''' </i> , "the Salt Sea" (&nbsp; Numbers 34:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:17; &nbsp;Joshua 3:16 , etc.); <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ha ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' ḳadhmōnı̄ ''''' </i> , "the east sea" (&nbsp;Ezekiel 47:18; &nbsp;Joel 2:20; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:8 ); <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' hā ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' ‛ărābhāh ''''' </i> ,"the sea of the Arabah" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:17; &nbsp;Joshua 3:16; &nbsp;Joshua 12:3; &nbsp;2 Kings 14:25 ). </p> <p> The Red Sea is called <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ṣūph ''''' </i> , literally, "sea of weeds" (&nbsp; Exodus 10:19; &nbsp;Numbers 14:25; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:1; &nbsp;Joshua 2:10; &nbsp;Judges 11:16; &nbsp;1 Kings 9:26; &nbsp;Nehemiah 9:9; &nbsp;Psalm 106:7; &nbsp;Jeremiah 49:21 , etc.); (ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα , <i> ''''' eruthrá ''''' </i> <i> ''''' thálassa ''''' </i> ), literally, "red sea" (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:7; &nbsp;Acts 7:36; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:29 ); <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' micrayim ''''' </i> , "the Egyptian sea" (&nbsp;Isaiah 11:15 ). </p> <p> <i> ''''' Yām ''''' </i> is used of the Nile in &nbsp; Nahum 3:8 and probably also in &nbsp; Isaiah 19:5 , as in modern Arabic <i> ''''' baḥr ''''' </i> , "sea," is used of the Nile and its affluents. <i> ''''' Yām ''''' </i> is often used for "west" or "westward," as "look from the place where thou art,... westward" (&nbsp;Genesis 13:14 ); "western border" (&nbsp;Numbers 34:6 ). <i> ''''' Yām ''''' </i> is used for "sea" in general (&nbsp;Exodus 20:11 ); also for "molten sea" of the temple (&nbsp;1 Kings 7:23 ). </p> <p> The Sea of Galilee is called <i> ''''' kinnereth ''''' </i> , "Chinnereth" (&nbsp; Numbers 34:11 ); <i> ''''' kinărōth ''''' </i> , "Chinneroth" (&nbsp;Joshua 11:2 ); <i> ''''' kinnerōth ''''' </i> , "Chinneroth" (&nbsp;1 Kings 15:20 ); <i> ''''' yam ''''' </i> <i> ''''' kinnereth ''''' </i> , "the sea of Chinnereth" (&nbsp;Numbers 34:11; &nbsp;Joshua 13:27 ); <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' kinnerōth ''''' </i> , "the sea of [[Chinneroth]] (&nbsp;Joshua 12:3 ); (ἡ λίμνη Γεννσαρέτ , <i> ''''' hē ''''' </i> <i> ''''' lı́mnē ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Gennēsarét ''''' </i> ), "the lake of Gennesaret" (&nbsp;Luke 5:1 ); and (τὸ ὔδωρ Γεννησάρ , <i> ''''' tó ''''' </i> <i> ''''' húdōr ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Gennēsár ''''' </i> ), "the water of Gennesar" (1 Macc 11:67), from late Hebrew גּנסר , <i> ''''' ginēṣar ''''' </i> , or (גּניסר , <i> ''''' genēṣar ''''' </i> ; ἡ θάλασσα τῆς Γαλιλαίας , <i> ''''' hē ''''' </i> <i> ''''' thálassa ''''' </i> <i> ''''' tḗs ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Galilaı́as ''''' </i> ), "the sea of Galilee" (&nbsp;Matthew 4:18; &nbsp;Matthew 15:29; &nbsp;Mark 1:16; &nbsp;Mark 7:31; &nbsp;John 6:1 ); (ἡ θάλασσα τῆς Τιβεριάδος , <i> ''''' hē ''''' </i> <i> ''''' thálassa ''''' </i> <i> ''''' tḗs ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Tiberiádos ''''' </i> ), "the sea of Tiberias" (&nbsp;John 21:1; compare &nbsp;John 6:1 ). </p> <p> In &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:32 we have <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ya‛zēr ''''' </i> , "the sea of Jazer." Jazer is a site East of the Jordan, not satisfactorily identified (&nbsp;Numbers 21:32; &nbsp;Numbers 32:1 , &nbsp;Numbers 32:3 , &nbsp;Numbers 32:15; &nbsp;Joshua 13:25; &nbsp;Joshua 21:39; &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:5; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:81; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 26:31; &nbsp;Isaiah 16:8 , &nbsp;Isaiah 16:9 ). See [[Sea Of Jazer]] . </p> <p> In <i> ''''' midhbar ''''' </i> <i> ''''' yām ''''' </i> , "the wilderness of the sea" (&nbsp; Isaiah 21:1 ), there may perhaps be a reference to the [[Persian]] Gulf. </p>

<p> The term 'sea' was much more in use among the Hebrews than with us, being applied by them generally to all large collections of water, as they had not a set of terms such as we employ to discriminate the different kinds. </p> <p> Mediterranean Sea </p> <p> The Mediterranean, being on the west, and therefore behind a person facing the east, is called in Scripture the Hinder Sea , that is, Western Sea; and also, 'the Sea of the Philistines' , as that people possessed the largest proportion of its shore in Palestine. Being also the largest sea with which the Hebrews were acquainted, they called it by pre-eminence, 'the Great Sea' (;;;;; ); or simply 'the sea' . </p> <p> Red Sea </p> <p> The Red Sea—How this gulf of the Indian Ocean came by the name of Red Sea is not agreed. Prideaux assumes (Connection, i. 14-15) that the ancient inhabitants of the bordering countries called it Yam Edom, or, 'the Sea of Edom' (it is never so called in Scripture), as its north-eastern part washed the country possessed by the Edomites. Now [[Edom]] means red , and the Greeks, who borrowed the name from the Phoenicians, mistook it for an appellative instead of a proper name, and rendered by 'the Red Sea.' Others have conjectured that the [[Arabian]] Gulf derived its name from the coral rocks and reefs in which it abounds; but the coral of the Red Sea is white, not red. It is now in question whether the name originated from the singularly red appearance presented by some of the mountains along the western coast; or from the redness which the surface of the water sometimes assumes from its being covered to a great extent with a numberless multitude of very small mollusca. </p> <p> The ancients applied the name of Erythraean Sea not only to the Arabian Gulf, but to that part of the Indian Ocean which is enclosed between the peninsulas of India and Arabia; but in modern usage the name of Red Sea is restricted to the Arabian Gulf, which enters into the land from the Indian Ocean in a westerly direction, and then, at the straits of Babel-Mandeb, turns N.N.W., maintaining that direction till it makes a near approach to the Mediterranean, from which its western arm is only separated by the isthmus of Suez. It thus separates the western coast of Arabia from the Eastern coast of the north-eastern part of Africa. It is about 1400 miles in length from Suez to the straits, and on an average 150 miles in breadth. On approaching its northern termination the gulf divides into two branches, which enclose between them the peninsula of Sinai. The western arm, which terminates a little above Suez, is far more extensive than the other, and is that which was crossed by the [[Israelites]] in their escape from Egypt. This arm, anciently called Heroopoliticus Sinus, and now the Gulf of Suez, is 190 miles long by an average breadth of 21 miles; but at one part (Birket el-Faroun) it is as wide as 32 miles. The eastern arm, which terminates at Aqabah, and bears the name of the Gulf of Aqabah, was anciently called Aelaniticus Sinus, from the port of Aelana, the Scriptural Elath, and is about 112 miles long by an average breadth of 15 miles. Towards its extremity were the ports of [[Elath]] and Eziongeber, celebrated in the history of the attempts made by the Hebrew kings to establish a maritime traffic with the East [[[Elath; Ezion-Geber]]]  </p> <p> Sea of Chinnereth </p> <p> The Sea of Chinnereth , called in the New [[Testament]] 'the Sea of Galilee' , the 'Sea of Tiberias' , and 'the sea' or 'Lake of [[Gennesareth]] '(;; ); which last is but a variation of the Hebrew name. </p> <p> This lake lies very deep, among fruitful hills and mountains, from which, in the rainy season, many rivulets descend: its shape will be seen from the map. The Jordan enters it on the north, and quits it on the south; and it is said that the river passes through it without the waters mingling. Its extent has been greatly over-rated. Dr. Robinson considers that its length, in a straight line, does not exceed eleven or twelve geographical miles, and that its breadth is from five to six miles. From numerous indications it is inferred that the bed of this lake was formed by some ancient volcanic eruption, which history has not recorded: the waters are very clear and sweet, and contain various kinds of excellent fish in great abundance. It will be remembered that several of the apostles were fishermen of this lake, and that it was also the scene of several transactions in the life of Christ: it is thus frequently mentioned in the New Testament, but very rarely in the Old. The borders of the lake were in the time of Christ well peopled, being covered with numerous towns and villages; but now they are almost desolate, and the fish and water-fowl are but little disturbed. </p> <p> Dead Sea </p> <p> The Dead Sea, called in Scripture the Salt Sea , the Sea of the Plain, or the Arabah , and the Eastern Sea (;; ). It is not named or alluded to in the New Testament. From its history and qualities, it is the most remarkable of all the lakes of Palestine; and is supposed either to have originated in, or at least to have been greatly enlarged by, the awful event which overwhelmed the cities of the plain. </p> <p> It is about thirty-nine or forty geographical miles long from north to south, and nine or ten miles wide from east to west: it lies embedded very deep between lofty cliffs on the western side, which are about 1500 feet high, and mountains on the eastern shore, the highest ridges of which are reckoned to be from 2000 to 2500 feet above the water. The water of the lake is much Salter than that of the sea. From the quantity of salt which it holds in solution it is thick and heavy, and no fish can live or marine plants grow in it. The old stories about the pestiferous qualities of the Dead Sea and its waters are mere fables or delusions; the actual appearances being the natural and obvious effects of the confined and deep situation, the intense heat, and the uncommon saltness of the waters. </p> <p> On the borders of this lake is found much sulfur, in pieces as large as walnuts, and even larger. There is also a black shining stone, which will partly burn in the fire, and which then emits a bituminous smell: this is the 'stink-stone' of Burckhardt. At Jerusalem it is made into rosaries and toys, of which great quantities are sold to the pilgrims who visit the sacred places. Another remarkable production, from which, indeed, the lake takes one of its names, is the asphaltum, or bitumen. Josephus says, that 'the sea in many places sends up black masses of asphaltum, which float upon the surface, having the size and shape of headless oxen.' From recent information it appears that large masses are rarely found, and then generally only after earthquakes. The substance is doubtless produced from the bottom of the sea, in which it coagulates, and rises to the surface; or possibly the coagulation may have been ancient, and the substance adheres to the bottom until detached by earthquakes and other convulsions, when its buoyancy brings it to the surface. We know that 'the vale of Siddim' was anciently 'full of slime-pits,' or sources of bitumen; and these, now under the water, probably supply the asphaltum which is found on such occasions. </p> <p> Lake Merom </p> <p> The Lake Merom is named once only in Scripture, where it is called waters of Merom . By Josephus it is called Semechonitis, and at present bears the name of Huleh: this is the uppermost and smallest of the three lakes on the Jordan. It serves as a kind of reservoir to collect the waters which form that river, and again to send them forth in a single stream. In the spring, when the waters are highest, the lake is seven miles long and three and a half broad; but in summer it becomes a mere marsh. In some parts it is sown with rice, and its reeds and rushes afford shelter to wild hogs. </p>