Introduction.
The Dead Sea is located in the Middle East between Israel and Jordan. The Dead Sea is found in the Syro-African Rift, 4000 mile fault line in the earths crust. That the lake is at its lowest point means that the water does not drain from the lake. The Dead Sea (Yam Hamelakh-The Salt Sea) is roughly 1300feet (400 meters) below sea level. It is 34 miles (55km) long and varies between 11miles (18km) and 12 miles (3km) in width. The sea is 1400 feet (430m) deep. The dead sea is deep in the Jordan Valley and 55km southeast of Amman. The surface of the Dead Sea is over 1300feet below sea level. The very bottom of the sea in the deepest part is over 2300feet below sea level.
The Dead Sea has the most saline water on earth, as much as 35% of the water is dissolved in salts. Daily, 7million tons of water evaporates living the minerals causing the salt content to raise. The Dead Sea is also known by many names which are as follows, Bahr Lut, Easter Sea, Lake of Asphalt, Salt Sea, Sea of Sodom and Gomorrah, Seas of the Arabah, Sea of the Devil, and Sea of the Plain. Sea of Zoar, and Stinking Lake.
This unique Sea is fed by the Jordan River; there is no outflow and the exceptionally high rate of evaporation (high temperatures and low humidity) produces large quantities of raw chemicals. These are extracted and exported throughout the world to be used in medicine, agriculture, beauty products and in industries. As its name suggests, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to its high salt content and minerals which gives its waters the renowned curative powers, therapeutic qualities and its buoyancy recognized since the days of Herod the Great 2000 years ago. Because the salt content in the Dead Sea is four times that of other oceans in the world, one can float even without trying. The dead sea is landlocked so it gets saltier with increasing depth. The surface fed by the River Jordan is the least saline. This makes swimming a truly unique experience. One can also recline in the waters and read a newspaper.
Scientific Knowledge Of The Dead Sea.
Scientifically, the Dead Sea has about 35 minerals in its waters which are used medically and for the taking care of the skin. Thee minerals include Magnesium, calcium, potassium, Bromine, Sulfur and Iodine. They are known for relieving pains caused by arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, headaches and foot aches while nourishing and softening the skin. These minerals also provide the raw materials renowned for he Jordanian Dead Sea Bath Salts and Cosmetic products marketed world wide.
There is no seaweed or any living creature that can be found in the Dead Sea, this is because of its saline state. Any sea animal that is unfortunate to get its way to the Dead Sea is usually very unlucky since it will die instantly and its body coated with salt hat acts as a preservative. What can be seen at the sore line of the Dead Sea is the white crystals of salt covering everything. This is not just any ordinary table salt but mineral salt that are also found in other oceans around the world. The mineral salts are very highly concentrated as compared to the tale salts. This is why no living thing can live in the Dead Sea.
The concentration of the salt in the Dead Sea waters has been for a long time been known for its medicinal value. Aristotle, Queen of Sheba, King Solomon and Cleopatra were all familiar with this kind of water as a medical remedy. Even the medical doctors of the contemporary world prescribe the waters of the Dead Sea to their patients with skin ailments and also to relieve pains.
Biblical Concept of the Dead Sea.
In the Bible, the Dead Sea is known as the” Salt Sea” or the “ Sea of the Arabah”. This inland body of water is named appropriately according to its high mineral content which allows nothing to live in it. Other post Biblical names for the Dead Sea include the Sea of Sodom, the Sea of Lot, the Sea of Asphalt and the Stinking Sea. In the crusader period it was called the Devil’s Sea. All these names reflect something in the nature of the sea.
The Dead Sea unlike the Sea of Galilee in the North is not prominently featuring in the Biblical narratives. Its most important issue that was featured about the Dead Sea was as a barrier, blocking traffic to Judah from the East. An advancing army of Ammonites and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat. His was documented in the Bible, 2 nd Chronicles chapter 20. Prophet Ezekiel prophesied that one day, the Dead Sea is going to be a fresh water Sea and fishermen will spread their nets along the shore. These are the little information that we can get about the Dead Sea in the Biblical view.
Although sparsely populated and serenely quiet, the Dead Sea has a spiritual and historical legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site of five Biblical cities; Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebouin and Zoar.
The Dead Sea as a Tourist Attraction.
The Dead Sea is a renowned destination for visitors. The visitors are able to float in the water due its high concentration of salt which s the highest in all the water bodies in the world. The air is extremely dry and the temperatures are high throughout the year. This makes the Dead Sea to be a good tourist destination throughout the year, be it during winter or during the summer.
Visitors also go to visit the Dead Sea for it therapeutic value of its minerals and mud’s. These can be used by people suffering from diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism and also skin ailments such as psoriasis and eczema. The minerals and muds are also used as raw products for beauty products. Most of the visitors who get to use the minerals of the Dead Sea in this sought of way are usually women. They get to be smeared with mud which is considered to act positively for all skin types or the minerals that are used to make beauty products such as facial products or hand creams and foot creams.
The visitors also go to visit this area due to some Biblical stories that they get to here about the Dead Sea. People want to go see this area that that they get to read some stories about from the Bible so as to be able to relate it well with what they read. As a tourist attraction, the Dead Sea has managed in its past years to gat a lot of good reviews and it is therefore considered as a must go destination.
Historical Perspective Of The Dead Sea.
Many archeological ruins are scattered I this area. Many historical fugitives such as Jesus, David, Jewish Zealots and Christian Monks, found peace and refuge around the Dead Sea. The area is also best known for its Biblical towns such as Sodom and Gomorrah. South of the sea, on the way to Eilat, is a rock salt formation that tourists are told is Lot’s wife. According to the Bible, Lot’s wife ignored God’s warning not to look back at the cities that He was destroying and was turned into a pillar of salt. This is found in the book of Genesis 19: 26.
The Sunset and the Dead Sea.
Sunset touches the distant hills with ribbons of fire across the sea bringing about a sense of unreality to culminate a days visit to this region. The Dead Sea is normally calm with barely a ripple disturbing its surface; at times the Dead Sea can be turbulent. However, during most days, the water shimmers under the beating sun. Where the rocks meet the lapping edges, it is usually covered with a white deposit that gives it a strange and surreal look that attracts a lot of people’s interest because of its beauty.
The Economic Side of the Dead Sea.
The minerals that are excavated from the Dead Sea are usually used as raw materials for products that are used in the spas by most of the women, the products that most women buy to use as beauty products. Most of these products that are used for such cases are usually very expensive. By the buying of these products, the economy of the area is usually increased bringing the ability of the area to use the finances got from the sell of the products for development.
The minerals and the history of the Dead Sea bring the high visitations from people of all walks. This improves the economy of the area since it is a prominent tourist destination. When tourist chooses this area as a site to visit, they pay a lot to get to see the Dead Sea and its surrounding areas. By doing this, they economy of the area is improved which helps the locals in general.
Due to its popularity as a tourist destination, there has to be hotels around the Dead Sea where the tourists stay when they go to visit the Middle East to see the Dead Sea. These hotels get a lot of visitors throughout the year who come to view the Dead Sea and also get medical treatments. By providing the hotel services, the Middle East also gets plenty of finances from the visitors therefore enabling the economic growth of the area.
The Dead Sea has some other economic factors that can help the community that lives around it. An example is the Dead Sea works, a company that converts the sea’s raw materials, particularly phosphates into commercial products. This kind of company works with the raw material that is at its disposal for the betterment of the economic status of the community and not letting it to go to waste. The phosphate that the Dead Sea Works company extracts from the Dead Sea is mostly used for agricultural functions. The phosphate is used to make fertilizer that is helpful to all the farmers locally and also internationally. This brings forth the finances needed by the local people when they sell their fertilizer and also they can use the fertilizer for their farms and later on sell their produce which will also generate an income to the locals.
Conclusion.
The Dead Sea is a very valuable to the contemporary world; this is because of its history, its minerals and all that comes with it. People should try their best to at least get a visit to see the Dead Sea and be able to see its good. This should also be a taught in schools so that the children should get to know about it and also what an important place it is. The Dead Sea is shrinking, but we sure hope that it will not all together disappear. We do not have to worry much about it though since there is a prophesy states that the Dead Sea is going to be a fresh water sea, since we have not yet experienced its turning into a fresh water lake, we know that it still has more years to be around.
All should try the best they can to go and visit the Dead Sea; this will be a true treat to all. Especially the idea of being able to float in water and also the therapeutic value of the water and the mud. This will sure make the trip for all to remember. Though with all the good that the waters can do, we are all warned, if one has an open wound, they should not get into the water. Because of its high saline state, it will sting very much.
