Pitch

Pitch (bitumen or asphalt) was a naturally occurring substance found in the ancient Near East, particularly in the region of the Dead Sea and in Mesopotamia, used as a waterproofing and adhesive material. Noah was instructed to coat the ark with pitch inside and out. The baby Moses's basket was waterproofed with pitch and tar. The valley of Siddim, where Sodom and Gomorrah were located, had numerous bitumen pits, and the fleeing kings fell into them during the battle with the four eastern kings. Isaiah uses burning pitch as an image of God's judgment on Edom (Isaiah 34:9–10).