The Hebrew phrase Ir HaMelach means 'City of Salt' and refers to a fortified city listed in Joshua 15:62 among the cities of the wilderness district of Judah. This area near the Dead Sea (where salt was abundant) was among the six cities allocated to the tribe of Judah in the barren wilderness.
While the City of Salt appears only once in the biblical narrative as a geographical reference, it reflects the broader theme of God granting the full extent of the promised land to Israel, including even barren wilderness areas. The salt region of the Dead Sea area was associated with desolation and curse (Gen 19; Deut 29:23) but also with covenant preservation — salt being the symbol of the eternal covenant (Num 18:19). Israel's presence in this cursed land reflects God's transformative grace.