Page 9 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

The Jordan River, flowing from north to south through the
Rift, descends over 2,300 feet (700 m.) in the course of its
186-mile (300 km.) route. Fed by streams from Mount
Hermon, it runs through the fertile Hula Valley into Lake
Kinneret and continues winding through the Jordan Valley
before emptying into the Dead Sea. While it swells during the
winter rainy season, the river is usually quite narrow and
shallow.

The Arava, Israel's savannah region, begins
south of the Dead Sea and extends to the Gulf of
Eilat, Israel's outlet to the Red Sea. Adaptation of
sophisticated farming techniques to climatic
The Hula Valley (Photo: S. Lederhendler) conditions, where the average annual rainfall is less
than one inch (25 mm.) and summer temperatures
soar to 104ºF (40º C), has made it possible to grow out of-season fruit and vegetables, mainly for
export. The sub-tropical Gulf of Eilat, noted for its deep blue waters, coral reefs and exotic
marine life, lies at the southern tip of the Arava.

The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at about 1,300 feet (400 m.) below sea level, lies at the
southern end of the Jordan Valley. Its waters, with the highest level of salinity and density in the world,
are rich in potash, magnesium and bromine, as well as in table and industrial salts.

The Dead Sea's natural pace of recession has been accelerated in recent years due to a very high rate of
evaporation (5 feet - 1.6 m. annually) and large-scale diversion projects undertaken by Israel and Jordan
for their water needs, causing a 75 percent reduction in the incoming flow of water. As a result, the
surface level of the Dead Sea has dropped some 35 feet (10.6 m.) since 1960. A project to link the Dead
Sea with the Mediterranean Sea by means of a canal and pipe system, which may help restore the Dead
Sea to its natural dimensions and level, is under consideration.

Climate
Israel's climate ranges from temperate to tropical, with plenty of sunshine. Two distinct seasons
predominate: a rainy winter period from November to May; and a dry summer season which extends
through the next six months. Rainfall is relatively heavy in the North and center of the country, with
much less in the northern Negev and almost negligible amounts in the southern areas.
Regional conditions vary considerably, with humid summers and mild winters on the coast; dry summers
and moderately cold winters in the hill regions (including Jerusalem), hot dry summers and pleasant
winters in the Jordan Valley; and year-round semidesert conditions in the Negev. Weather extremes
range from occasional winter snowfall at higher elevations to periodic oppressively hot dry winds, which
send temperatures soaring, particularly in spring and autumn.

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