DEAD SEA                                                                            See Map       Dead Sea        Main
The Dead Sea is both the saltiest body of water in   
the world, with seven  times the salt of the ocean,
and the lowest body  of water  on Earth, lying 408
meters  (1,340 feet)  below  sea level.  Situated at
the mouth of the Jordan River, the lake  forms part
of the border between Jordan  and Israel. Several
smaller  streams  pour into  the  sea from the east,
so the  lake  has a  heavy  inflow  of  fresh water.
But the area’s extreme  heat causes  this water to
evaporate,  and  the  Dead  Sea  never   becomes
less salty.  The high salt content makes the water
very buoyant,  allowing  swimmers  to  float  on  it
easily.  Some  believe  that  the lake  is healthful to
bathe in  because  of its  high mineral content, and
several  health  resorts  operate along the shores.
But  the  lake’s  saltiness  kills animal and plant life,
and  fish  carried in  by the  Jordan soon  die. The Dead Sea is economically important as a source of potash, bromine, gypsum, salt, and other chemical products.

Rocky and barren land surrounds the Dead Sea, and steep cliffs rise  above its eastern and western banks. The Al Lisan  peninsula  juts into  the lake  on its eastern shore, dividing it into a large northern basin, which  accounts  for  about  three-fourths  of  the  lake’s surface area, and a smaller southern
basin. The  lake is 80 kilometers (50 miles) long  and about 18 kilometers (about 11 miles) across at its widest point.

The lake  is closely  associated  with  biblical  history. In the Bible the Dead Sea goes by many names, including the Salt Sea, the Sea of Lot, the East Sea, and the Sea of the Plain. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,  which  according  to the  Old Testament,  are believed to lie beneath the lake. Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are ancient manuscripts of the Bible as well as commentaries & hymnbooks, were found in caves near the Dead Sea.

MAI’N HOT SPRINGS
Another  popular spa is Hammamat Mai’in  where  the thermal  water at  the  complex  contains a rich concentration of  mineral  salts, such  as  Natrium,  Potassium,  Calcium  and  Magnesium all of which contribute  to  therapeutic  treatments  of  Rheumatic  disorders,  arthritis,  skin diseases  and  others. 
Mai'n spa  was  used by  the Roman  and  Byzantine elite;  Herod  the  Great went there to  ease  his 
aches 2000 years ago.