The Dead Sea

This is as low as you can stoop-more than 394m below sea level, the Dead Sea is die lowest point on earth. The name was coined by Christian pilgrims astonished by the apparent absence of any form of life in its waters (kill-joy scientists have recently discovered micro-organisms in the lake’s water, but that doesn’t count). Its Hebrew name, Yam haMelah (Salt Sea), makes the point: the lake has a salt concentration eight times that of ocean water. Although there is no outlet for the lake’s water, the intense sun bearing down on the valley used to evaporate enough water to keep the water level constant. But present-day pumping of the lake’s sources, most notably Israel’s diversion of water from the Sea of Galilee for agricultural purposes, has dwindled its supply of fresh water, resulting in a gradual lowering of the water level (most noticeable in the shallow southern parts).

Israel once considered digging a canal from the Mediterranean for hydroelectric power, but the Med-Dead canal idea was too pricey; more recent ideas speak of a Red-Dead alternative, a post-peace joint Israeli-Jordanian venture to channel sea water from the Gulf of Aqaba. Until the water is diluted, swimming in, or rather floating on, the Dead Sea is like nothing else. You just bob up and down like a human cork, suspended on salts and minerals trapped by centuries of evaporation. The water is oily like an Italian dressing.

Currently the Dead Sea is 65km long, up to 18km wide, and up to 400m deep. The haze that obscures what would otherwise be an otherworldly view of the basin is actually evaporation. The rift in the Earth’s crust which created this place is evident in the jagged wall of cliffs, less than 3km apart, which rise on both the Israeli and Jordanian coasts. In ancient times, the Dead Sea was a refuge for those in search of religious freedom (the Qumran sect), political freedom (David, who hid at Ein Gedi), or both (the Jewish rebels at Masada). The Dead Sea can also name Jesus, King Herod, and John the Baptist among its illustrious, but temporary, residents.

The waters themselves are the subject of controversy-some swear by their curative properties, others say they’re useless, and the rest of the world just comes to ‘ook. According to a few scientists and all resort owners, concentrations of bromine, magnesium, and iodine 10-20 times higher than in the ocean reduce skin allergies, stimulate certain glandular functions, and have a soothing effect on the central nervous system. The sulphur springs at resorts along the coast seem to alleviate the pains of rheumatism and arthritis, but occasionally have an adverse effect on blood pressure and olfactory functions.