SALT, VALLEY OF (גֵּיא־הַמֶּלַח). A valley in which two important victories of the Israelite armies over the Edomites occurred. The first was when David’s army slew 18,000 Edomites (2 Sam 8:13. KJV says “Syrians.” A suggested solution for inclusion of Syria in the battle is that the king of Syria rushed to the aid of Edom and thus both nations were involved in the defeat). 1 Chronicles 18:12 attributes this victory to Abishai and the title of Psalm 60 attributes it to Joab. The other victory occurred two centuries later when Amaziah, king of Judah, slew 10,000 Edomites there, captured and slew another ten thousand, and then took their capital Sela, changing its name to Jokthe-el (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chron 25:11), thus reversing the independence the Edomites had won upon the death of Jehoshaphat.

The exact location of the Valley of Salt is disputed. Wadi el-Milh (salt), E of Beer-sheba, which flows by the foot of Tell el-Milh, has been suggested because of the similarity of names. A more likely location is es-Sebkha, S of the Dead Sea, and a barren saline area.