During the Pleistocene Epoch (2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago), it rose to an elevation of about 700 feet (200 metres) above its modern level, forming a vast inland sea that stretched some 200 miles (320 km) from the H̱ula Valley area in the north to 40 miles (64 km) beyond its present southern limits. The Dead Sea, known in Hebrew as Yam Ha-Melakh (the Sea of Salt) is the lowest point on earth, surrounded by the stunning landscape of the Negev Desert. Along the Dead Sea, one can find the lowest exposed point of dry land on earth, which is ever-changing its elevation and specific location as the water evaporates from the area. photo by Evgeny Rivkin. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Dead Sea is also known as the "Sea of Death" or the "Salt Sea". Throughout the year, the climate of Dead Sea remains dry and sunny. Rainfall is scanty and irregular. During biblical times and until the 8th century ce, only the area around the northern basin was inhabited, and the lake was slightly lower than its present-day level. The Dead Sea is 306 m deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With the regular flooding in the Dead Sea, it was observed that up until the present time the receding water processes that took place were said to have exposed the land in what is now Israel, and a great separation was caused between the Dead Sea and eastern element of the Mediterranean Sea known as the Levantine Sea. Discover the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, in all its glory, learn about why the dead sea is called the dead sea, dead sea maps, dead sea activities , dead sea hotels and many others await for you in this guide. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Location is very near to the Dead Sea beach. Dead Sea was Cleopatra’s one of the most favorite places. At that time the Dead Sea was probably about the size that it is today. The way to get to the Dead Sea Tree is from the Segregated Beach, there’s a large concrete pier type area that leads into the sea and you can step off directly into the water. The Al-Lisān region and Mount Sedom (historically Mount Sodom) resulted from movements of Earth’s crust. The Dead Sea has the lowest elevation and is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth. Show more Show less. Its eastern shore belongs to Jordan, and the southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel. Because of the lake’s extremely low elevation and sheltered location, winter temperatures are mild, averaging 63 °F (17 °C) in … This blissful retreat is guaranteed to relax you from the moment you arrive. The microorganisms found in the area are inclusive of Halobacterium volcanii, sodomense, and Dunaliella, the latter being a kind of algae, and many other microscopic species which are found in the saline sea's waters. Our hotel sits at the lowest land point on Earth, with direct access to the Dead Sea beachfront. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth; it was formed 1.5 million years ago. It is assumed that the uplifting of Mount Sedom and Al-Lisān formed a southern escarpment for the Dead Sea. ICL 2017 © All rights reserved . Sunbathing at the Dead Sea has less of a sunburn risk than other destinations. The Dead Sea, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, is on the border between Israel and Jordan. The Dead Sea is located in the Syro-African Rift, which is seen to be a fault line measuring around 4,000 miles in length across the earth’s crust. One can also see native Middle Eastern animalsin its neighborin… With its origin dating back to some four million years ago, it is one of earth’s saltiest bodies of water and is the lowest point on earth. The Dead Sea, Israel - Jordan Lat Long Coordinates Info. In so doing, salt is often seen left remaining along these shores afterward. ‏‏מָּוֶת, Yām HaMā́weṯ, "The Sea of Death", and Arabic: البحر الميت ‎ al-Baḥr al-Mayyit ,), also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, and Palestine and Israel to the west. Dead Sea, Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Mayyit (“Sea of Death”), Hebrew Yam HaMelaẖ (“Salt Sea”), also called Salt Sea, landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia. The Dead Sea is a prehistoric lake, the history of which dates back to some 2 to 3.7 million years. Visit some of the world’s most fascinating and ancient cities in this guided tour, taking you to explore Biblical history of Bethlehem, Jericho and Jordan River(Qasr al Yahud) and the Dead Sea.

Kickoff with an early morning and discover Bethlehem to see the biblical birthplace of Jesus and key sites the Church of the Nativity.
Then, travel to the lowest and oldest city … 7. Where would you travel to reach the world’s second deepest lake? Dwelling in caves near the Dead Sea is recorded in the Hebrew Bible as having taken place before the Israelites came to Canaan, and extensively at the time of King David. Time-lapse video of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv–Yafo, the Dead Sea, and the Red Canyon. The lowest point of dry land on earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea at 1300 feet (400 m) below sea … The Jordan River, from which the Dead Sea receives nearly all its water, flows from the north into the lake. 2 By: Alexandra Watson The Dead Sea Biology Project Geography Surrounding The Dead Sea • The Dead Sea is actually 422 meters (1,385 feet) below sea level which is the lowest point on the surface of the Earth. Most noticeably, the peninsula of Al-Lisān gradually extended eastward, until the lake’s northern and southern basins became separated by a strip of dry land. Numerous sinkholes are also to be found in the area, which is further causing the sea waters to drain the saline layers as the freshwater moves towards the area. The Dead Sea is one of the most hyper-saline water body in the world so one cannot find many fishes or other species in the water areas save for the bacteria and certain fungi which are present there. Test the depth of your knowledge with this quiz. The Dead Sea is situated between the hills of Judaea to the west and the Transjordanian plateaus to the east. By the mid-2010s, measurement of the lake level was more than 100 feet (some 30 metres) below the mid-20th-century figure—i.e., about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level—but the lake continued to drop by about 3 feet (1 metre) annually. Found in the Qumran Caves and, later, in numerous other locations in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea, these ancient manuscripts have been called the great archaeological find of the 20th-century. In addition, the southern basin was eventually subdivided into dozens of large evaporation pools (for the extraction of salt), so by the 21st century it had essentially ceased to be a natural body of water. Because the water in the lake evaporated faster than it was replenished by precipitation during the past 10,000 years, the lake gradually shrank to its present form. Even the water from the Jordan River is being diverted away from this area due to human use. Ken Pletcher was Senior Editor, Geography and History for Encyclopædia Britannica. photo by Sebastian Witkin. Al-Lisān averages about 2.5 inches (65 mm) of rain a year, the industrial site of Sedom (near historical Sodom) only about 2 inches (50 mm). The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on the surface of the earth, and the saline water of the lake give lead to the name because no fish can survive in the salty waters. As part of his master's program,... Salt deposits at the Dead Sea near Masada, Israel. The two nations of Israel and Jordan, however, are each working towards the restoration of the water levels of the Dead Sea. Before the water level began dropping, the lake was some 50 miles (80 km) long, attained a maximum width of 11 miles (18 km), and had a surface area of about 394 square miles (1,020 square km). Later, strata of clay, marl, soft chalk, and gypsum were dropped onto layers of sand and gravel. Dead Sea. Updates? Your serene haven from the outside world awaits at the foot of the Moav Mountains, just a 2-minute walk from the Dead Sea's gorgeous beaches (The hotel operates a shuttle to and from the beach). These include an extra atmospheric layer, an evaporation layer above the Dead Sea and a thick ozone layer. THE DEAD SEA IS a 390-square-mi (1,010-squarekm) salt lake located on the borders of PALESTINE, ISRAEL, and JORDAN. Map of Dead Sea Region area hotels: Locate Dead Sea Region hotels on a map based on popularity, price, or availability, and see Tripadvisor reviews, photos, and deals. At 423 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is officially the lowest place on earth making it an even more fascinating destination to visit. The Dead Sea, itself, is an inland body of water appropriately named due to the fact that its extremely high salt and mineral-rich waters are not conducive to sustaining life. Another consequence resulting from the Dead Sea’s lower water level has been the appearance of sinkholes, especially in the southwestern part of the region. The Dead Sea did not spill over into the Gulf of Aqaba because it was blocked by a 100-foot (30-metre) rise in the highest part of Wadi Al-ʿArabah, a seasonal watercourse that flows in a valley to the east of the central Negev highlands. 19. Dead sea. 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