The novel frequently uses allusion, or references to people, events, and characters outside the text. While allusions are usually indirect rather than overt, in A Bottle in the Gaza Sea, they are both and serve several purposes: to emphasize the ancient and modern history of the setting, develop characterization, and add thematic nuance.

Tal’s overt references to ancient and modern historic figures provide cultural and political context for the novel’s setting, as well as characterizing Tal and her father. When she describes how her father looks as he describes the ancient history of Jerusalem and the figures involved—King David, Solomon, Suleiman the Magnificent, Nebuchadnezzar, the Romans, Jesus, Muhammad—she develops the family’s knowledge and pride in its history while simultaneously giving readers a crash course on the region and explaining how “rivalries over the city began to simmer” (8). Similarly, Tal’s description of September 13, 1993, overtly contextualizes the hope of peace and reconciliation inspired by the Oslo Accords. Her perspective on the roles of Rabin, Clinton, Arafat, and Sharon in contemporary events builds the theme of The Impact of Geopolitical Conflict on Individual Lives.