What’s In Your Water? Scorched Earth Tactics of Poisoning the Well

Last updated on: July 5, 2019 at 9:52 am by Paul Louis Metzger

What’s In Your Water? Scorched Earth Tactics of Poisoning the Well 2019-07-05T09:52:51-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Creative Commons

You’ve likely seen those commercials for Capital One credit cards with the tag line, “What’s in your wallet?” (Refer here and here). In this post, we will ask another question: “What’s in your water?” More important than any credit card, and the most important commodity or resource you could purchase, is water. Such has always been the case for the human race given our biological wiring, and always will be. Just think: adult human bodies are constituted by up to 60% water; without sufficient, healthy water, we eventually die. Therefore, it shouldn’t be difficult to understand the ancient biblical text Proverbs 4:23—which makes a metaphorical connection to water and wellsprings—exhorting people then and now: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Moreover, it is little wonder that given water’s import for human survival, warfare tactics have included attacks on enemy water supplies. From ancient times to the present day—from age-old Mesopotamia to contemporary Iraq—warfare strategies have included scorched earth tactics of well-poisoning, as a recent Smithsonian article titled “The History of Poisoning the Well” makes clear. Here are three quotes from the article:

Since the dawn of conflict, armed groups have targeted water as both a tactic and potential weapon of war. In savaging rivers, wells, lakes and more, attacking troops punish locals for their lack of support—or render the land useless if facing imminent defeat. And by harnessing these resources, groups can alternately flood or starve opponents of water, historically a ploy favored by those up against unkind odds…

“The fundamental value of water to life makes it an attractive target during conflict,” says Peter Gleick, a scientist and water expert at the California-based Pacific Institute, which charts water-related violence. “We understand now that that is a violation of human rights, but that has not prevented it, even in modern times, from being casualty of war.”

As climate change saps rainfall in places and population growth and state mismanagement deplete groundwater in others, hydrologists anticipate more well destruction in the years to come. “We’re doing an analysis of the data now in the conflict chronology, and even setting aside questions of the quality of data over time there are very clear trends of increasing attacks on water sites, increasing use of water as a weapon, and I think that reflects growing pressure on water worldwide,” says Gleick. “Water is becoming increasing valuable, increasingly scarce, and unfortunately increasingly fought over. And I don’t see it going the other way.”

As water shortages presumably increase globally, what bearing will such limited supply and increasing demand pose for conflicts of various kinds?

Scorched earth policies involving poisoning water supplies go beyond physical combat. According to the Bible, we are engaged in a spiritual conflict that involves scorched earth policies, including poisoning the well, namely heart affections and values. Thus, as noted in the opening paragraph, Scripture exhorts us to guard our hearts above all else. Without pure wellsprings or wells, namely, clean, pure hearts, we die.

Nineteenth century Biblical expositor Albert Barnes understood the importance of safeguarding wells in the ancient world, as well as such safeguarding’s metaphorical import for our spiritual lives. In his exposition of Proverbs 4:23, Barnes writes: “The fountains and wells of the East were watched over with special care. The heart is such a fountain, out of it flow the ‘issues’ of life. Shall men let those streams be tainted at the fountain-head?” In succeeding posts on this topic, we will reflect on such matters as what is involved in safeguarding the human heart as the well-spring of our spiritual life. No matter what else we do, no matter what other aspects of life we cherish, we must take most diligent precaution to safeguard the heart as the fountain-head of life.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 30, 2019

What Are the Benefits of Being Persecuted for Righteousness?

Next Post

July 6, 2019 Don’t Let the Pretty Packaging Fool You: What’s in the Bottled Water?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz