Western shore of the Dead Sea, between Qumran and Ein Gedi. Photo: Eyal Asaf.
The Dead Sea is the sea of all superlatives: at 420 meters below the Mediterranean, it is the lowest point on Earth; with salinity levels almost ten times higher than those of the ocean, it is the saltiest body of water in the world. Its density (1.24 kg/liter) is so high that it is impossible for someone to submerge in it. For this reason, the Dead Sea is called the Sea of Salt in Hebrew –Yam ha-Melaj (Josh 15:2).
Over three million years ago, the Arabian and African tectonic plates began to drift apart, widening the Rift Valley, to which the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley belong. At that time, sea levels were higher than they are now, and the waters of the Mediterranean flowed into this depression, forming a lagoon. During the most recent ice age, the sea level dropped dramatically, trapping the lagoon and transforming it into a closed, tongue-shaped lake. For this reason, geologists called it Lisán (tongue in Arabic). The lake’s salinity increased rapidly due to intense evaporation, and thick layers of salt accumulated on its bed.
This evolution was very slow. However, since the 20th century, the Dead Sea has undergone dramatic and sudden changes caused by human activity. The construction of a dam south of the Sea of Galilee and the diversion of all the Jordan River’s tributaries have drastically reduced the inflow of water into the Dead Sea. On its northern shore, the Dead Sea’s waters have receded by several hundred meters in less than a century. The southern basin of the Dead Sea remains active only because of the water it receives from the northern basin. Currently, the water level is dropping by 1.25 meters per year.
Evolution of the Dead Sea. Source: Travel Tales of Life
To save the Dead Sea, several projects have been proposed. One of them involved bringing water from the Mediterranean, but the barrier formed by the Judean mountains proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. Another, more realistic proposal, suggested building a pipeline between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. However, it never materialized due to a lack of cooperation between Israel and Jordan. Because of the sudden drop in the Dead Sea’s water level, parts of the shoreline collapsed, forming sinkholes, and many spa resorts were abandoned, creating landscapes reminiscent of dystopian films.
All these natural features make the Dead Sea a fascinating place. However, its unique character lies primarily in its connection to biblical history.
It first appears in the Bible in the book of Genesis, when Abraham—then called Abram—and Lot decided to part ways to avoid conflicts between their herdsmen. It was in the surrounding area that Lot chose to settle.
“Lot looked about and saw how abundantly watered the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar, like the LORD’s own garden, or like Egypt. This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain and set out eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom.” – Genesis 13:10-12
The Bible’s emphasis on the fertility of this region is striking. Despite its aridity, the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea—its southern extension—benefit from the water that falls on the Judean mountains (the land of Canaan chosen by Abraham) and from a few, but relatively abundant, freshwater springs, such as Ein Gedi.
The prophet Ezekiel refers to these waters in his vision of the Temple:
“He said to me, “This water flows out into the eastern district, runs down into the Arabah and empties into the polluted waters of the sea to freshen them. Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow, they refresh; everything lives where the river goes” – Ezequiel 47:8-9
These fish appear on the “Madaba Map” in Jordan; a 6th-century mosaic depicting Palestine and its holy places. At the mouth of the Jordan River where it meets the Dead Sea, the artist illustrated large fish struggling against the current to avoid entering the “putrid” waters of the Dead Sea.
By Henri Gourinard