International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Sea

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Sea


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sē (ים, yām; θάλασσα, thálassa; in πέλαγος, pélagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yām ha-gādhōl, “the great sea” (; ; , etc.); ha-yām ha-'aḥărōn, “the hinder,” or “western sea” (; ; ; ); yām pelishtı̄m, “the sea of the Philis” (); the King James Version translates yām yāphō' in by “sea of Joppa,” perhaps rightly.

The Dead Sea is called yām hā-melaḥ, “the Salt Sea” (; ; , etc.); ha-yām ha-ḳadhmōnı̄, “the east sea” (; ; ); yām hā-‛ărābhāh,”the sea of the Arabah” (; ; ; ).

The Red Sea is called yām ṣūph, literally, “sea of weeds” (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , etc.); (ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα, eruthrá thálassa), literally, “red sea” (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:7; ; ); yām micrayim, “the Egyptian sea” ().

Yām is used of the Nile in and probably also in , as in modern Arabic baḥr, “sea,” is used of the Nile and its affluents. Yām is often used for “west” or “westward,” as “look from the place where thou art,... westward” (); “western border” (). Yām is used for “sea” in general (); also for “molten sea” of the temple ().

The Sea of Galilee is called kinnereth, “Chinnereth” (); kinărōth, “Chinneroth” (); kinnerōth, “Chinneroth” (); yam kinnereth, “the sea of Chinnereth” (; ); yām kinnerōth, “the sea of Chinneroth (); (ἡ λίμνη Γεννσαρέτ, hē lı́mnē Gennēsarét), “the lake of Gennesaret” (); and (τὸ ὔδωρ Γεννησάρ, tó húdōr Gennēsár), “the water of Gennesar” (1 Macc 11:67), from late Hebrew גּנסר, ginēṣar, or (גּניסר, genēṣar; ἡ θάλασσα τῆς Γαλιλαίας, hē thálassa tḗs Galilaı́as), “the sea of Galilee” (; ; ; ; ); (ἡ θάλασσα τῆς Τιβεριάδος, hē thálassa tḗs Tiberiádos), “the sea of Tiberias” (; compare ).

In we have yām ya‛zēr, “the sea of Jazer.” Jazer is a site East of the Jordan, not satisfactorily identified (; , , ; ; ; ; ; ; , ). See SEA OF JAZER.

In midhbar yām, “the wilderness of the sea” (), there may perhaps be a reference to the Persian Gulf.