SALT has been a necessary additive to humanity's diet from the time people began cooking meat. The use of salt as a preservative and condiment became so important that it soon acquired a truly astonishing variety of symbolic meanings.

The Egyptians and Greeks used salt in certain sacrifices, but it is not clear with what intent. In Brahmanic sacrifices, in Hittite rituals, and during the New Moon festivals of Semites and Greeks, salt was thrown on fire to produce a crackling sound that may have had symbolic significance. This interesting multicultural custom, however, does not seem to be related to Mark's enigmatic saying: "Everyone must be salted with fire" (Mk. 9:49).

The Hebrews had a "covenant of salt" with Yahveh (Nm. 18:19, 2 Chr. 13:5) and sprinkled their sacrifices with the "salt of the covenant" (Lv. 2:13). Though this practice probably developed from the use of salt as a preservative, for these Semites...