Please Pass the Salt “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how an it be salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13

The Facts, Please! Table salt contains two elements, chlorine and sodium. It is known chemically as sodium chloride. Only a small amount of salt is used for seasoning food. There are about 1, 400 other uses. Long ago salt was so important and so scarce that it was used as money. In ancient Greece, slaves were bought with salt. When an owner was pleased with his slave, he said, “He is worth his salt.” We still use that phrase to say that someone is worthwhile. In Rome, soldiers received part of their pay in salt. This was called their salarium, from which we get our word salary.

More facts, please! Salt is found in the oceans, in salt lakes, in salt springs, and in salt mines. In the ocean there are about four ounces of salt in every gallon of water. One sea, though, has nine time as much salt as that. The Dead Sea in Israel has 11, 600,000,000 tons of salt! In Bible times some of the salt collected from the Dead Sea lost its saltiness. Instead of being thrown away, it was stored in the temple in Jerusalem. It was spread on the marble courtyards when winter rains made them slippery, and people walked on it. That’s what the Bible means when it says salt that has lost its saltiness is trodden under the feet of men.

One more fact! Long ago, when people signed an agreement, they ate some salt. It was a pledge of their friendship and faithfulness.