Amazing Facts About the Dead Sea – GroundJerusalem.com Products

The Dead Sea is one of the most amazing places on Earth. Let’s find out what makes it so special!

1. Very Salty Water

The water in the Dead Sea is so salty that you can’t sink in it. It’s 10 times saltier than regular sea water. This means you can lie on the surface of the water and not sink, just like you’re on a floating mattress!

2. The Lowest Point on Earth

The Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on the Earth’s surface. It’s about 430 meters below sea level. Imagine how deep this place is compared to the ocean level!

3. Healing Mud and Salts

The mud and salts from the Dead Sea have magical properties for the skin. Many people come here to cover themselves with mud, which helps make the skin soft and healthy. It’s like a natural spa from nature!

4. No Fish!

No fish or other animals live in the Dead Sea because the water is too salty for them. However, special microorganisms and bacteria live there, which can survive in such conditions.

5. Different Names

The Dead Sea has many different names. In Hebrew, it’s called Yam ha-Melach, which means “Salt Sea,” and in Arabic, it’s called al-Bahr al-Mayyit, which means “Dead Sea.”

6. Legendary Cleopatra

It’s said that Cleopatra, the famous queen of Egypt, loved to take baths with the salts and mud from the Dead Sea. She believed it helped her maintain her beauty and youth.

7. Hotels and Resorts

The first large Israeli hotels were built in Arad, and since the 1960s in the resort complex Ein Bokek. There are 15 hotels along the Dead Sea coast in Israel, which bring significant revenue.

8. Floating Asphalt

Sometimes pieces of natural asphalt float to the surface of the Dead Sea. It comes from the depths of the lake and looks like small islands on the water.

9. The Dead Sea Scrolls

Not far from the Dead Sea, ancient scrolls called the Dead Sea Scrolls, also known as the Qumran Caves Scrolls, were found. These scrolls are very important to scientists because they tell about the lives of people many, many years ago. They are a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period.

10. Tourists from All Over the World

People from all over the world come to the Dead Sea to see its unique nature, try the healing mud, and just float in the salty water. This place attracts tourists with its magical properties.

11. Historical Fortresses

King Herod the Great built several fortresses and palaces on the western shore of the Dead Sea. The most famous of them was Masada, where Jewish zealots took refuge in 70 AD.

12. Ancient Caves

Residents of the Dead Sea region used caves for living even before the Israelites came to Canaan. King David himself hid in these caves from King Saul.