Gideon Levy The Only Place Where a Palestinian Can Give Orders to an Israeli
The Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth, also offers the only beach open to West Bank Palestinians
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea (in Hebrew, Yam Hamelach or Salt Sea) is an endorheic lake - 67 kilometers long, 18 kilometers at its widest - along the Jordan Rift Valley and bordered by the West Bank, Israel, and Jordan.
With 33.7% water salinity, the Dead Sea is the planet’s second saltiest body of water and, with the exception of certain types of halophilic archaebacteria and fungi, barren of life. The Dead Sea’s shores are 420 meters below sea level, making it the lowest place on the planet’s exterior, and its deepest point is 800 meters below sea level, making the Dead Sea the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. The Jordan River is the main source of water for the Dead Sea.
A leading tourist attraction and a major source of potassium, bromine and magnesium, the Dead Sea is of great economic importance to Israel and Jordan. Visitors to the Dead Sea traditionally cover themselves in the mud found at the water's edge, believed to have therapeutic properties due to its high concentration of minerals. The salinity of the water also creates a buoyancy effect, with bathers able to float on the sea's surface.
Throughout history the Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin, and its minerals have been tapped to produce a variety of products, ranging from cosmetics and herbal sachets to mummification balms and potash for fertilizer.
Israeli Court Rules to Place Limit on Amount of Water Pumped From Dead Sea
Environmental group files petition against Dead Sea Works requesting the company obtain licences to promote more efficient and economical pumping technologies
Life Really Can Overcome Anything: How Bacteria Survive 250 Meters Under the Dead Sea
Scientists discovered new life in one of the most extreme environments in the world: Bacteria living on dead ancient microorganisms – which may have implications for finding life on Mars
Hot as Hell: Temperature in Sodom Broke Israeli Record
The mercury peaked at nearly 50 degrees Celsius at the Dead Sea site during Wednesday’s country-wide heat wave.
There’s a Way to Save Jordan. But It Might Kill the Dead Sea
Water crisis in the Hashemite kingdom can be eased by desalinating water from the Red Sea, with brine waste used to replenish the vanishing Dead Sea — but experts don’t agree if it will succeed
Tehran Caves to Israel: World's Longest Salt Cavern Discovered, Beating Iranian Record
Malham is one of 150 caves in Mount Sodom, at the southern part of the Dead Sea, that are made of pure salt. It’s been known to Western travelers since the end of the 19th century
Experts Racing Against Antiquities Robbers in Hunt for Dead Sea Scrolls
Recent finds have stirred fresh excitement and archaeologists are probing higher and deeper than before, as hundreds of caves remain unexcavated
Death Toll in Jordan Flood Rises to 13 After Girl's Body Found
The girl was found a day after her father and four of her sisters — also flood victims — were buried, state news agency reports
Death Toll in Jordan Flash Floods Rises to 12
Jordan opens shelter for dozens of people whose homes were surround by water ■ Contact made with two Israelis travelling in southern Jordan
Israel's Sea of Galilee at Lowest Level in 17 Years
The water level in Israel's only freshwater lake fell further in November, approaching an all-time low
Court Extends Remand of Driver Suspected of Killing Eight in Dead Sea Crash
The charges against the driver will likely include obstruction of proceedings, manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs and passing illegally on Route 90
Business in Brief: PetroTx Becomes Accidental Producer of Dead Sea Oil
Super-Sol launches apparel shopping and travel websites ■ Citing market conditions, ECI Telecom delays London initial public offering ■ No need to raise interest rates yet, says deputy Bank of Israel governor ■ Shares post mild drop while bond prices slump on rate-hike fears
Six Palestinians Killed in Head-on Collision Near Dead Sea
The six killed, construction workers in their 30s, were trapped in one of the vehicles and extracted by fire department teams after they were already dead. Four others were wounded and evacuated to a near hospital
Israel Mulls Advancing Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal Project to Mend Relations With Jordan
The canal is one of several ideas that have been proposed in advance of the expected negotiations with Amman on the two annexes in the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, which King Abdullah recently announced will not be renewed
Drugs Suspected in Dead Sea Car Crash That Killed Family of Eight
Judge extends remand of driver suspected of killing the family. The driver had committed more than 20 traffic offenses in the past
Israeli Police Arrest Three Palestinians Suspected of Arson in Dead Sea Blazes
The fire caused damage to 125 acres of vegetation was contained after hours of efforts by 16 firefighting crews
Israeli Artist Breathes Life Into the Dead Sea by Sculpting With Its Salt
Sigalit Landau uses the high salinity that prevents life in the Dead Sea in order to create a collection of shiny white sculptures that seem to come out of a fairy tale
Israel Seeks to Tender Dead Sea Mining Rights Early
Government’s aim is to slow shrinking of the lake by putting limits on water usage on whoever wins the new franchise
Foreign Visitors Spending Record Number of Nights in Israeli Hotels, New Figures Show
Previous statistics showed that 2.18 million foreign visitors came to Israel in the first six months of the year, a 19% increase over the same period in 2017
Israeli Hotels Look to Vamp Up Emergency Plans for Future Earthquakes
After a series of earthquakes shook Israel's north, the Tourism Ministry takes precautionary steps to improve emergency response plans
Thousands Hold Vigil for Israeli Teens Killed in Flash Floods: 'It Hurts Me Just as Much'
Young participants lit candles, formed song circles and draped themselves in the Israeli flag as they gathered in memory of the ten teens killed in flash floods in Nahal Tsafit
IN PHOTOS Vanishing Dead Sea - a Hermit Haven
It’s sunset at the Dead Sea, where the New Age melds with a biblical vista in danger of becoming a paradise lost
Rare Sighting: Egyptian Nightjar Bird Finds a Home on Israeli Kibbutz
The disappearing Dead Sea has provided this rare bird species not seen in the region since 1947 with new nesting grounds
Government Panel Wants to Set Minimum Price for Dead Sea Rights
Draft proposal says state-owned enterprise should take license in lieu of minimum
Endless Drought Predicted for the Mediterranean in a Warmer World
Mega-droughts caused by long-term climate cycles devastated the Levant 120,000 and 10,000 years ago, research shows. Now scientists predict it’s going to happen again
Explained Iran-Iraq Earthquake: Why Are Earthquakes in Iran So Deadly
A magnitude 6.6 quake on Dec. 26, 2003, devastated the historic city of Bam, 1,000 km southeast of Tehran, killing about 31,000 people
New Plan for Dead Sea Sinkholes? Turn Them Into Tourist Attractions
Tired of the naysayers, two influential Israeli groups are trying to accentuate the positives at the embattled site
Israel to Pay Annual Grant to Minority Workers at Dead Sea Hotels
The $1,400 perk is aimed at solving the labor shortage in the hotel industry and integrating minorities into the workforce
Analysis Israel's Acid Spill: A Test of Ties Between Nature Group and Industry
Despite cooperative efforts such as agreed-upon pollution monitoring, park officials failed to foresee spill at plant that will paralyze the area for over a year
Dead Sea Likely to Recede Back to Lowest Point Ever, Israeli Researchers Warn
With rainfall modest, the sea dropped 16 centimeters last month, compared with an average of between 10 and 12 centimeters, the hydrological service says