After the flooding, shifts along the geological fault line over thousands of years cut off the flow of water from the Mediterranean Sea and added tremendous quantities of sediment to the floor of this now endorheic basin. The heavier sediment pushed the salt deposits in the floor of the lake upwards into the now trapped sea water; thus the high concentration of salt; 31.4%.
Holy margarita! That’s a lot of salt.
The Dead Sea may be too salty to sustain life, but soaking in the thermo-mineral sulfur springs offers a host of health benefits.
Apparently the salt and a host of minerals (21 in all, 12 of which are unique to the Dead Sea) help cure everything from arthritis to eczema, asthma to psoriasis. Bromide in the salt helped heal and relax my tired and sore muscles after a week of climbing every hill and valley between here and Jerusalem.
Apparently all the magnesium in the healing waters also improved my circulation, hydrated my skin, increased moisture retention (oh, great, I’m now even more bloated), promoted cellular regeneration, reduced fatigue, eliminated stress, and aided my metabolism. And there’s more!
Would you believe the sulfate in the water quietly working behind the scenes stimulated my pancreas to generate digestive enzymes that detoxified my body and regulated my use of insulin? I’m a believer! In fact, I think it’s safe to say, I was a new woman inside and out (I know; looks can be deceiving) despite foregoing the famous Dead Sea mud wraps at the areas spas and resorts.
BREATHING IS EASIER ALONG THE DEAD SEA
EVEN SUN EXPOSURE IS HEALTHIER AT THE DEAD SEA
Remember, 1,300 extra feet below sea level essentially means fewer ultraviolet rays reach their destination, my pale and pasty epidermis courtesy of a long and harsh winter. Add in a second layer, the dense haze from constant evaporation that typically hangs over this land-locked sea to the ozone layer that surrounds the entire earth and the health benefits of this desert oasis just keep coming.
Apparently the good Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he created the Dead Sea.
THE DEAD SEA IS THE LOWEST PLACE ON THE PLANET
This valley is the ancient site of Sodom and Gomorrah and was a place of refuge for King David. It was the world’s first health resort for Herod the Great. Bedouin still dot the desert on both sides of the Dead Sea, herding goats and somehow living off the land like their forefathers have done for thousands of years.
Rainfall in the area averages scarcely two inches a year.
THE DEAD SEA LEFT ME BOBBING WITH BUOYANCY
LET’S NOT FORGET THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
Between 1946 and 1956, 981 texts were found (the initial discovery was made by Bedouin shepherds) inside eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in and around a settlement called Qumran. The texts are of great historical, cultural, linguistic and religious significance given they include the earliest known surviving manuscripts of works later included in the Hebrew Bible.