Salt as a covenant of purity.

The meaning of salt is fascinating. It's amazing to think how much of an impact two simple elements, sodium and chloride, have had on human history and society. Salt is a significant electrolyte in our bodies, we cannot survive without it. Its value extends beyond its physiological function.

 Every living person has a unique memory of the mineral, from its essential functions in food preservation and seasoning to its assistance in the formation of entire civilizations.

Here, we examine a few metaphors and meanings that salt has in terms of theology and believes.

A closer examination of salt's role in the Jewish and Christian faiths may reveal one of the most significant areas where its influence on the modern world. 

The term "covenant of salt" appears twice in the Hebrew Bible. A covenant is an agreement in the strictest sense. Sometimes enforceable by law.

However, the word "covenant" is claimed to relate to an agreement among God and his people in the biblical meaning. First written in the Book of Numbers, this salt covenant is made between God and Aaronic priests (who are descended from Aaron, Moses' brother). The ability of salt to preserve is regarded to represent an unbreakable agreement in this context.

The Book of Chronicles contains the second allusion. This passage makes use of the same imagery, but this time it alludes to God's relationship with Israel's Davidic monarchs.

It's interesting to note that these allusions are supposed to have had a direct influence on the Slavic custom of welcoming new guests with bread and salt. A practise that George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, also claimed as a Westerosi cultural tradition.

The Book of Ezekiel mentions Hebrews wiping babies with salt along with cleansing water, playing on the idea of salt as a purifying entity. There are still some contemporary societies that continue what was once thought to be an usual maternal practise. For instance, certain tribes in Turkey perform this ritual because they believe it bestows favours and abundance upon a newborn.