It was a time in the nation's history that 'was steeped in' bloodshed. [=a time when there was a lot of bloodshed]
Prior to his trip, he spent a few weeks 'steeping himself in' the language. [=learning a lot about the language]
an area 'steeped in' history [=an area where many important historical events occurred]
(..) -Milk? Honey? -A bit of honey, please. I hope you like flies in your honey. -Oh, perhaps not. Maybe... better to let it steep a little. Steep? -Soak. I don't know, I mean... there's a proper way of making tea. Where I'm from, people just want it to be hot. (..)2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button