LIFE IN CLAY JARS

The Dead Sea from the Judean Wilderness with the Mountains of Moab in the distance

Intense rays from the sun shimmer through a haze in the skies, glittering on the placid surface of the Dead Sea. An enormous basin of scrabbly pebbles and jagged stone, all baked to a uniformly scorched brown, jumble together and rise to form the mesas and peaks of the Judean mountains in the west and the hills of Jordan to the east.

In stark contrast to the faded landscape, the vivid turquoise water at your feet is tinted and streaked by underlying salt formations. Crusty fingers of narrow sandbars stretch before you, and your toes experimentally test the water. Salty sand slowly curls around your toes, cracking underfoot as you wade farther into the shallows. Careful not to splash your face, you gingerly sit, but the water’s buoyancy brings your legs to the surface while you struggle to maintain your balance. The water seems heavy and oily. Your lips taste faintly of salt, and strangely, your hair feels crunchy.

More than 1400 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth—a place of extremes and curiosities. Rainfall is less than two inches per year, but when the rain comes from the hill country, it is intense, with flash floods that rapidly wash out roads and threaten lives. The precipitous hills surrounding the Sea are unusual: there are no trees, nor anything green. Their uniformity in appearance makes it easy to become disoriented and lost, and the gravel slides dangerously underfoot, presenting serious challenges to adventure-seekers.

Salty sand slowly curls around your toes, cracking underfoot as you wade farther into the shallows. Along the shoreline, there are no waving bulrushes or cattails. No seagrass or coral is submerged in the peculiarly-colored depths. Animals do not splash in the shallows, and no fish dart along the sea floor, because nothing can live in the high salt content of the water.

“There Is a Sea”, a song written by Lula Klingman Zahn, speaks of the Dead Sea: “It’s dreadful name doth e’er proclaim That sea is waste and dead.” I must admit: the thrust of that song, sung over the course of my life, colored my opinion of the Dead Sea. My research, as I pulled thoughts together for this article, tended toward negativity, focusing on how our lives should not reflect the attributes of the Dead Sea. As recipients of God’s mercy and forgiveness, Christians should share, not hoard, these rich gifts and blessings. There is much truth to that thought. But the more I thought about the Sea, the more I saw good.

The Mineral Rich Seawater with Salt Formations along the Western Shore of the Dead Sea

There are health benefits in the Dead Sea. Sulfur, magnesium and calcium abound, and mineral-rich seawater seems to improve circulation, easing the effects of arthritis and psoriasis. Dead Sea mud even makes us pretty, cleansing and softening our skin! Where no plants grow, pollen and allergens are reduced, relieving respiratory ailments. The low elevation means that the sun’s ultraviolet rays are more filtered, causing less harm to the skin. Barometric pressure at lower elevation provides more oxygen, allowing better sleep and easier breathing. All of these positive effects draw tourists—and their money—to the area, and tourism is good for Israel.

For Christians, though, one benefit of this unique area stands out. Some seventy years ago in a cave on the western edge of the Sea, a Bedouin shepherd quite accidentally discovered clay jars filled with ancient scrolls. That discovery led to many others in caves around the Dead Sea: some 800 recovered manuscripts we know today as the “Dead Sea Scrolls”. Among them were fragments or copies of every Old Testament book except Esther, dated from the second century before Jesus’ birth. That fact is vitally important: before these manuscripts were found, the earliest copies in existence were dated nearly a thousand years after Jesus.

Consider the implications of a book of prophecy—without proof that it had been written prior to the one about whom the prophecies were written! However, these scrolls once again established that Old Testament prophecies were, in fact, prophetic and confirmed in the life of Jesus. Consider, too, the implications if the words in these newly discovered copies of biblical texts did not correspond with our translations! But they matched, once again providing proof for the inspiration and reliability of God’s word.

Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were Discovered Near the Dead Sea

Consider the Dead Sea's consistent climate, the low humidity, and the remote location, all contributing to the preservation of these vital documents. Perhaps God used all of these factors in this harsh, extreme location to protect and safeguard His word until His time was perfectly right in history.

We often need to take another look at circumstances in our own lives that we regard as unpleasant or extreme. Our opinions are colored by the world rather than by the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:9, NASB). It goes against our nature, but James tells us to “consider it all joy” (1:2) when we encounter trials, because endurance will lead us to more perfect faith.

The world around us resists dying, fighting it with every means possible, but, like Paul, Christians understand the “desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better,” (Phil. 1:23). Joseph was betrayed, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned and spent years suffering because of his brothers’ actions, yet after they were reconciled, he said, “God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive,” (Gen. 50:20).

Sunrise on the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek

My mother would never have chosen for my father to suffer with Alzheimer’s disease, but she has repeatedly expressed deep gratitude that God allowed her time to serve him and demonstrate her love for him. Not everything makes sense to us. Sometimes, like petulant toddlers, we throw a fit, or like sullen teenagers, we rebel, because we do not have our Father’s wisdom. In this life we hurt. We despair. We wait. We wonder why. But in being burdened “beyond our strength” we learn to trust “not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead…He will yet deliver us,” (2 Cor. 1:9-10). This seems strange to us, but not to God. 

It is interesting to note that the term “Dead Sea” is not found in scripture. Instead, this body of water is referred to most often as the “Salt Sea”. Salt is a preservative. Isn’t it beautiful to know that beside the Dead Sea, the Book of Life sat in jars, waiting 1900 years to fulfill God’s purpose? In this seemingly lifeless place of curious extremes, He was, and still is, at work.  What a contrast in perspective! Which will you choose?

By Carla S. Moore