Sieges: Cities Taken by Sometimes Sown With Salt
Jump to: Torrey'sSubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
In the ancient Near East, sieges were a common military strategy employed to conquer fortified cities. The Bible provides several accounts of sieges, illustrating both the physical and spiritual dimensions of warfare in biblical times. One of the more severe actions taken after a successful siege was the sowing of a city with salt, a symbolic act meant to signify total destruction and desolation.

Historical Context

Sieges involved surrounding a city, cutting off supplies, and waiting for the inhabitants to surrender or be weakened enough for a direct assault. This tactic was not only a test of military might but also of endurance and resourcefulness. The Bible records numerous sieges, reflecting the turbulent history of the Israelites and their neighbors.

Sowing with Salt

The act of sowing a conquered city with salt was a ritualistic gesture intended to curse the land, rendering it barren and uninhabitable. This practice symbolized the utter devastation and the intent that the city should never be rebuilt. While the Bible does not explicitly mention the sowing of salt in every siege, it is a practice noted in ancient Near Eastern warfare.

Biblical Example

One of the most notable biblical references to the sowing of salt is found in the account of Abimelech's destruction of Shechem. In Judges 9:45 , it is recorded: "Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured it, and killed the people who were in it. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt." This act was a demonstration of Abimelech's total victory and his desire to obliterate Shechem's significance and future potential.

Symbolic and Spiritual Implications

The sowing of salt carried deep symbolic meaning. Salt, a preservative and purifier, when used in this context, became a symbol of perpetual desolation. It was a declaration that the city was cursed and its land unfit for cultivation or habitation. This act served as a warning to other cities and nations of the consequences of defying the conqueror.

In a spiritual sense, the destruction and salting of a city can be seen as a metaphor for divine judgment. Just as salt was used to ensure the land remained barren, so too could divine judgment render a people spiritually desolate if they turned away from God's commandments.

Other Biblical Sieges

While the sowing of salt is not mentioned in every biblical siege, the Bible recounts numerous instances of cities being besieged and destroyed. The fall of Jericho (Joshua 6), the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:24-30), and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25) are notable examples. These sieges often carried significant theological implications, serving as instruments of divine justice or as consequences of Israel's disobedience.

Conclusion

The practice of sowing a city with salt after a siege underscores the severity of ancient warfare and the symbolic acts that accompanied military victories. In the biblical narrative, such actions are interwoven with themes of judgment, covenant, and the sovereignty of God over the affairs of nations.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Judges 9:45
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Resources
What is the history of Masada? | GotQuestions.org

When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Ben-Hadad in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Siege: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Siege

Siege by David

Siege by Nebuchadnezzar

Siege by Rezin, King of Syria, and Pekah, Son of Remaliah, King of Israel

Siege by Sennacherib

Siege by the Sons of Judah

Siege: Abel

Siege: An offer of Peace Must be Made to the City Before Beginning A

Siege: Cannibalism During A

Siege: Conducted by Erecting Embankments Parallel to the Walls of the Besieged City

Siege: Distress of the Inhabitants During A

Siege: Gibbethon

Siege: Jericho

Siege: Rabbah

Siege: Samaria

Siege: Tirzah

Sieges: Ai

Sieges: Being Against Round About

Sieges: Cities Invested by Frequently Helped by Allies

Sieges: Cities Invested by Frequently Taken by Ambush

Sieges: Cities Invested by Frequently Taken by Assault

Sieges: Cities Invested by Inhabitants of, Exhorted to be Courageous

Sieges: Cities Invested by Often Demanded Terms of Peace

Sieges: Cities Invested by Often Suffered from Famine

Sieges: Cities Invested by Often Suffered from Pestilence

Sieges: Cities Invested by Repaired and Newly Fortified Beforehand

Sieges: Cities Invested by Sometimes Used Ambushes or Sorties

Sieges: Cities Invested by Supplied With Water Beforehand

Sieges: Cities Invested by The Inhabitants of, Cut off Beforehand Supplies of Water

Sieges: Cities Invested by Walls of, Defended by the Inhabitants

Sieges: Cities Invested by Were Strictly Shut Up

Sieges: Cities of Israel in Galilee

Sieges: Cities of Judah

Sieges: Cities Taken by Frequently Broken Down

Sieges: Cities Taken by Frequently Destroyed by Fire

Sieges: Cities Taken by Given up to Pillage

Sieges: Cities Taken by Inhabitants of, often Put to the Sword

Sieges: Cities Taken by Sometimes Called After the Name of the Captor

Sieges: Cities Taken by Sometimes Sown With Salt

Sieges: Compassing About With Armies

Sieges: Debir

Sieges: Eglon

Sieges: Encamping Against

Sieges: Extreme Difficulty of Taking Cities By, Alluded To

Sieges: Fenced Cities Invested By

Sieges: Gibbethon

Sieges: Great Noise and Tumult of, Alluded To

Sieges: Hebron

Sieges: Jabesh-Gilead

Sieges: Jericho

Sieges: Jerusalem

Sieges: Keilah

Sieges: Lachish

Sieges: Libnah

Sieges: Makkedah

Sieges: Often Lasted for a Long Time

Sieges: Pitching Against

Sieges: Rabbah

Sieges: Ramoth-Gilead

Sieges: Samaria

Sieges: Setting in Array Against

Sieges: Shechem

Sieges: The Jews Forbidden to Cut Down Fruit Trees for the Purpose of

Sieges: The Judgments of God

Sieges: The Omnipresence of God

Sieges: Thebez

Sieges: Those Engaged in Built Forts and Mounts

Sieges: Those Engaged in Called Upon the City to Surrender

Sieges: Those Engaged in Cast Arrows and Other Missiles Into the City

Sieges: Those Engaged in Cut off all Supplies

Sieges: Those Engaged in Dug a Trench Round the City

Sieges: Those Engaged in Employed Battering Rams Against the Walls

Sieges: Those Engaged in Frequently Laid Ambushes

Sieges: Those Engaged in Invested the City on Every Side

Sieges: Those Engaged in Often Suffered Much During

Sieges: Threatened As a Punishment

Sieges: Tirzah

Sieges: Ziklag

Sieges: Zion in Her Affliction

Related Terms

Siege-towers (1 Occurrence)

Siegeworks (8 Occurrences)

Rabbah (14 Occurrences)

Straiten (4 Occurrences)

Straitness (6 Occurrences)

Esarhaddon (3 Occurrences)

Mound (17 Occurrences)

Zedekiah (63 Occurrences)

Oppress (57 Occurrences)

Inflict (25 Occurrences)

Forts (12 Occurrences)

Famine (99 Occurrences)

Jehoahaz (22 Occurrences)

Acco (2 Occurrences)

Besiege (17 Occurrences)

Lachish (22 Occurrences)

Layeth (76 Occurrences)

Great (10383 Occurrences)

Chalde'ans (74 Occurrences)

Distress (169 Occurrences)

Enemy (134 Occurrences)

Samaria (123 Occurrences)

Benhadad (24 Occurrences)

Laying (87 Occurrences)

Omri (16 Occurrences)

Layest (10 Occurrences)

Trusting (45 Occurrences)

Ramp (9 Occurrences)

Encircling (6 Occurrences)

Encircle (6 Occurrences)

Posted (8 Occurrences)

Baruch (24 Occurrences)

Bloody (19 Occurrences)

Battering-rams (2 Occurrences)

Capture (53 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrezzar (31 Occurrences)

Arpad (6 Occurrences)

Assault (8 Occurrences)

Sargon (1 Occurrence)

Syracuse (1 Occurrence)

Flavius

Josephus

Tyre (59 Occurrences)

Zimri (16 Occurrences)

Judith (1 Occurrence)

Nadab (21 Occurrences)

Nebuchadnezzar (90 Occurrences)

Captivity (141 Occurrences)

Sidon (35 Occurrences)

Besieged (34 Occurrences)

Fortified (79 Occurrences)

Asmoneans

Fortress (75 Occurrences)

Warfare (18 Occurrences)

Troops (92 Occurrences)

Womb (84 Occurrences)

Wherewith (182 Occurrences)

Trench (8 Occurrences)

Battering (6 Occurrences)

Sido'nians (11 Occurrences)

Sennacherib (13 Occurrences)

Fort (8 Occurrences)

Fortification (5 Occurrences)

Fighting (201 Occurrences)

Alexander (5 Occurrences)

War (529 Occurrences)

During (182 Occurrences)

Jeremiah (141 Occurrences)

Cyrus (20 Occurrences)

Gates (156 Occurrences)

Asshur (133 Occurrences)

Zedeki'ah (62 Occurrences)

Clay (50 Occurrences)

Fight (265 Occurrences)

Cyprus (12 Occurrences)

Elisha (70 Occurrences)

Enemies (317 Occurrences)

Testaments

Sieges: Cities Taken by Sometimes Called After the Name of the Captor
Top of Page
Top of Page