Dead Sea

The Dead Sea fills the lowest land-based basin on Earth, a landlocked body of water in the Jordan Rift Valley. The Jordan River is its main tributary, but no outlet carries water away, so evaporation concentrates dissolved salts in the lake. The northern basin is about fifty kilometres long and reaches a depth of 304 metres, making this the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hot desert climate brings clear skies, dry air and little rain; the water also moderates temperatures along its shores.

For centuries, the lake attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean. Its asphalt was used as far away as Egypt for mummification, while salt and other minerals became valuable products. During Hellenistic and Roman times, members of the ascetic Essene sect settled on the western side, and Qumran is widely associated with them. The stark basin thus joined geological forces, mineral wealth and an old history of travel.