MY ISRAEL:
THE DEAD SEA & DEAD SEA VALLEY:
THE DEAD SEA lies 430 meters below sea level, the lowest point on earth. A branch of the Syrian-African rift valley, it is 50 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width at its widest point. A place of geological extremes. The sea is 500 meters deep in the north & 250 meters deep in the south & has a salinity of 33.7 %, making it 8.6 times saltier than the oceans. Too harsh an environment for both fish & aquatic plants, its only occupants, besides humans who bathe in its waters and experience buoyancy due to the high salt content and consequent increase in water density, are small quantities of bacteria & microbiological fungi.
The waters have a medicinal value and used in the treatment of psoriasis, a skin disease, sinusitis & arthritis. Unless one has masochistic tendencies, it is not a good idea to enter its waters if you have any cuts or abrasions. Neither is it advisable to drink or get water into one’s eyes. I have on occasions seen swimmers who discarded these precautions, exit the sea and head for the fresh water showers at speeds which make Usain Bolt look slow.
THE DEAD SEA VALLEY is sandwiched between Judean desert escarpment on the western side, and the Jordanian Abarim mountain range, known biblically as the Mountains of Moab, on the eastern side. THE DEAD SEA sits in the center of the valley & is fed from the north by the Jordan River, its primary water source. Seasonal rivers and underground streams that originate in both Israel & Jordan enter the sea from the west & east respectively & are secondary water sources.
The outflow of underground water near the shores of the Dead Sea have created the oases of Ein Gedi, Enot Tzukim, Kane & Samar on Israel’s side & have since time immemorial been places of refuge. A valuable source of water in this harsh environment, which has an average summer temperature of 32 to 39 degrees Celsius & an annual rainfall of 50 milliliters (2 inches).
Its shores have been the stage of dramatic events throughout the ages and its produce zealously sought after by all who occupied its banks. David’s confrontation with king Saul took place at Ein Gedi and recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 24. During the Hellenistic (332 B.C.E-167 B.C.E), Hasmonean (167 B.C.E – 63 B.C.E.) & Roman (63 B.C.E – 324 C.E.) periods, the Nabateans traded in Dead Sea products such as asphalt & salt. They controlled the 2400 kilometer spice route which started in southern Arabia, continued to their capitol Petra (located in present day Jordan), by-passed the southern shore of the Dead Sea & ended at the sea port of Gaza.
Asphalt sold to the Egyptians, was an essential element in the embalming of a dead body to prepare it for mummification. Other uses of asphalt included the water proofing of boats and baskets and was a necessary ingredient for the manufacture of both glue & mortar. As is the case today, asphalt was used in construction of roads.
Refrigeration was not an option in ancient times & salt was the prime preservative. Consequently salt was a much valued and sought after product.
The Herodian period (37 B.C.E – 4 B.C.E.) that fell within the early Roman period witnessed the rivalry between Herod and Cleopatra. Cleopatra demanded that her lover, Mark Anthony, surrender Herod’s Ein Gedi date and balsam plantations to her, to which Anthony acquiesced. However, with the later demise of Cleopatra & Mark Anthony, the plantations returned to Herod’s possession
Other sites located on the shores of the Dead Sea include Qumran, the abode of the Essene sect accredited with the writing of the Dead Sea scrolls. Masada, the site Herod transformed into a palace fortress, & the previously mentioned oasis, Einot Tzukim, home to archaeological remains from the late 2nd Temple period.
In 1930, Moshe Novomesky established the Palestine Potash Company in the northern part of the Dead Sea, which falls within an area known as Judea & Samaria. During the 1948 War of Independence the Jordanians conquered the area, looted & destroyed the machinery, ethnically cleansed the area of Jews & renamed it the West Bank. Consequently, the company relocated to the southern end of the Dead Sea. In 1951 Israel nationalized the company and in 1953 renamed it, The Dead Sea Works, which has become the fourth largest producer & supplier of potash in the world. Potash being the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. Primarily used in fertilizers to support plant growth, increase crop yield, resist disease and enhance water preservation.
Due to farming on both the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the Jordan River, less water reaches the Dead Sea, resulting in a serious drop in the water level. This has had a devastating effect on the underground salt mounds, which support the surface soil. Fresh water from the seasonal rivers and underground streams emanating from both Israel & Jordan dissolve the supporting salt mounds causing the surface soil to collapse, thereby creating sinkholes. In order to prevent the demise of the Dead Sea, Israel and Jordan have combined forces & embarked on a project costing 250 to 400 million dollars to replenish the sea. The plan involves the pumping of water from the Red Sea to a desalination plant. Half of the water volume is processed for drinking purposes. The other half undergoes a process to create brine, a high-concentration solution of salt in water, which is then piped to the southern-most edge of the Dead Sea to help replenish its waters.
Ron Traub: (Tour Guide & Architect). Website:rontraub-tours.com Photo’s: Rimonah Traub.
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