DEAD SEA — a large lake in southern Israel (see Map 9, C–4) at the lowest point on earth. In the Old Testament it is called the Salt Sea (Gen. 14:3; Josh. 3:16); the Sea of the Arabah (Deut. 3:17); and the Eastern Sea (Ezek. 47:18; Joel 2:20). Josephus, the Jewish historian, referred to this buoyant body as Lake Asphaltitis. The Arabic name is Bahr Lut, meaning, “Sea of Lot.” But from the second Christian century onward, Dead Sea has been the most common name for this unusual body of water.

The topography of the Middle East is dominated by a geologic fault that extends from Syria south through Palestine, all the way to Nyasa Lake in east-central Africa. The Dead Sea is located at the southern end of the Jordan valley at the deepest depression of this geologic fault. With a water level approximately 390 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level, the surface of the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. At the deepest point of the sea, on the northeast corner at the foot of the Moab mountains, the bottom is 390 meters (1,300 feet) deeper still.

The dimensions of the sea change from year to year. Many factors, such as rainfall and irrigation, contribute to this. In general, however, the Dead Sea measures approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) in length and averages 15 to 16 kilometers (9 to 10 miles) in breadth, yielding a surface area of from 600 to 640 square kilometers (350 to 400 square miles).

A large peninsula known as el-Lisan (“the Tongue”) protrudes into the sea from the southeast shore. It extends to within 3 kilometers (2 miles) of the western shore and is located some 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the southern tip. Throughout the centuries this tongue separated the sea into two parts with a channel of water flowing between them on the west. From the depths of the northeast corner, the bottom of the sea quickly shelves and rises southward. Thus the area of the sea south of el-Lisan is extremely shallow. It is at the entrance to el-Lisan that the destroyed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah most probably lie (Gen. 19:24–29).

Except on the north where the Jordan River enters, the Dead Sea is nearly surrounded by hills and cliffs. From these hills, streams feed fresh water to the Salt Sea. In addition to these year-round streams and the Jordan River, waters flow into the sea from the winter torrents of several seasonal streams.

These water sources pour millions of gallons of water each day into the Dead Sea. However, the extreme hot temperatures and sparse rainfall (about two inches a year) cause an enormous evaporation rate that has kept the water level constant over the years. Due to increased irrigation by the Israeli government, the volume of water flowing into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River is decreasing each year. Thus the level of the sea goes down proportionately. As a result, “the Tongue” often stretches all the way across the sea, completely separating the northern portion from the southern portion. Evidence of a Roman road across the peninsula has been discovered, indicating that at other periods in its history the Dead Sea was shallow enough for traffic to cross its southern tip.

Because the Dead Sea has several watercourse entrances but no exits, it is indeed a “dead” sea. Although lush vegetation can be found at the mouths of these tributaries, the water itself is very salty. This is because it flows through nitrous soil and is fed by sulphurous springs. With the absence of an outlet, the water from the Dead Sea is left to evaporate, leaving behind most of its minerals. Thus it contains a very large supply of potash, bromine, magnesium chloride, salt, and other minerals. Although the value of these chemicals is enormous, making the Dead Sea the richest mineral deposit on earth, the cost of retrieving these minerals is also high. Potash extraction has been one of the most successful operations. But as technology increases, the interest in “mining” the Dead Sea will also increase.

The salt and mineral content of the Dead Sea constitutes more than twenty-five percent of the water. This compares with about six percent mineral content in the ocean. The specific gravity of the water is greater than that of the human body, making it next to impossible for any person to sink in the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea formed part of Israel's eastern border (Num. 34:12; Ezek. 47:18). In addition to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, many other historical and biblical events occurred along its shores. The springs of EN GEDI provided a refuge for David in his flight from King Saul (1 Sam. 24:1). In the Valley of Salt south of the sea, David and Amaziah won victories over the Edomites (1 Chr. 18:12; 2 Kin. 14:7). Here, too, Jehoshaphat encountered the Edomites (2 Chr. 20:1–2; 2 Kin. 3:8–9). The last days of Herod the Great were spent on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea at the hot sulphur springs of Callirhoe. At Machaerus, just to the southeast, his son Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist.

The prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 47:1–12) saw a vision of a river issuing from the Temple sanctuary in Jerusalem and flowing to the desert sea, the Dead Sea. And the prophet Zechariah wrote: “And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea [the Dead Sea] and half of them toward the western sea [the Mediterranean Sea]” (Zech. 14:8). Prophetically this is apparently a reference to the “pure river of water of life” said to flow from the throne of God in John's vision (Rev. 22:1–2).

The great fortress of Masada guarded the southern approaches toward Palestine, perhaps the road crossing from Moab to Judea at el-Lisan. Herod refortified this strong fortress, which finally fell in A.D. 73 to the Romans under Flavius Silva. He also refortified the Maccabean stronghold at Machaerus on the eastern shore.

The discovery of the DEAD SEA SCROLLS in caves on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea near QUMRAN has mustered renewed historical interest in this area. The remains of the ESSENE community at Qumran and the search for scrolls in the more than 250 surrounding caves focused the eyes of the world on a tiny sea devoid of marine life but bristling with mineral potential and archaeological promise.