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The Dead Sea is 75 kilometers
long and from 6 to 16 kilometers
wide. It is fed by the Jordan
River, but it has no outlet. As
its name suggests, the Dead Sea
is entirely devoid of plant and
animal life. This is due to an
extremely high content of salt
and other minerals—350 grams of
salt per kilogram of water, as
compared to about 40 grams in
the world’s oceans. This
concentration is caused by a
rapid rate of evaporation. These
natural elements give the waters
of the Dead Sea certain curative
properties, recognized since the
days of Herod the Great over
2000 years ago.
Also famous for their
restorative powers are the
thermal mineral springs of
nearby Zarqa Ma’een,
which hosts a therapeutic health
spa.
The Dead Sea is also famous
geographically as "the lowest
point on earth," lying some 400
meters below sea level. In
addition to the historical
significance of the "Salt Sea,"
as it was referred to in the
Bible, the Dead Sea is today an
important and rich source of
minerals essential for
agricultural and industrial
development, as well as for the
treatment of various medical
conditions such as psoriasis.
Visitors to the Dead Sea come
away with an unforgettable
swimming experience, as the high
density of the water makes
sinking virtually impossible.
Indeed, swimming is also
difficult, as one is lifted too
high in the water to be able to
stroke properly. More
appropriate is the
often-photographed pose showing
a visitor reclining in the
water, leisurely reading a
perfectly dry newspaper.
While marine enthusiasts will
find a paradise in Aqaba, the
Dead Sea is a great place to
catch up on your reading!
Of particular importance is the
wide plain along Jordan’s
southeast Dead Sea coast known
today as the Southern Ghor.
Known in the Bible as the
Valley of Salt—undoubtedly
because of the natural salt
formations which form along the
water’s edge—it is where David
"slew 18,000 Edomites" (2 Samuel
7:29). This wide plain is also
where Abraham and Lot divided
their herds and people, going
their separate ways after the
journey from Egypt. While
Abraham journeyed into Canaan,
"Lot chose for himself the whole
plain of the Jordan and set out
toward the east" (Genesis 13:
11).
The Bible then says that "Lot
lived among the cities of the
plain and pitched his tents near
Sodom" (Genesis 13: 12). The
Southern Ghor may thus be
associated with one of the most
dramatic stories in the Bible,
that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
While conclusive proof has not
yet been found, some scholars
see Bab al-Dhra’ and Numeira as
good candidates for the biblical
Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed by
God because of their wickedness
(Genesis 19). The other biblical
"cities of the plain—"Admah,
Zeboiim and Bela (or Zoar)—may
still be waiting to be
rediscovered under the ruins of
Early Bronze Age towns as Feifa,
Safi, Khneizirah, and other
places throughout the biblical
Valley of Salt.
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