| << Jordan menu | Dead Sea |
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| The Dead Sea is 65 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! The main resort area
is located on the northern shores of the Dead Sea at Sweimeh, about
45 kilometers southwest of Amman. In Sweimeh, the Government Rest House
provides showers and changing facilities, a restaurant, and a choice
stretch of beach. The only accommodations currently available are at
the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, a few kilometers past Sweimeh. There, you can
enjoy a variety of mineral treatments at the German medical center:
as well as the waters of the Dead Sea, other therapies include black
mud, highly oxygenous air treatment, filtered sunrays, massage and gymnastics.
Private bungalows are also available. Work is progressing toward the
completion of additional resort hotels along the Dead Sea. In addition to being
an attraction for leisure and medicinal tourism, the Dead Sea was the
location for a number of significant biblical events. The Bible refers
to it as the Sea of the Araba, the Salt Sea, and the Eastern Sea (Deuteronomy
3: 17; Joshua 3: 16; Numbers 34: 12; Ezekiel 47: 18). The Arabah
desert, or "wilderness", of the Bible is the arid basin between
the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba today known as Wadi Araba. 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). |
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