Page 70 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

In short, it’s important to get to know the places of the Bible. Visualizing “the where” of the story helps
us communicate the great truths of the Bible.

Most of the cities and sites in Southern Israel are known from the Old Testament Period. In the New
Testament, Jesus and the Apostles are never recorded as traveling south of Jerusalem. Let’s start in the
very southern part of the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is so named because nothing lives in it. The lowest point on
earth, this body of water lies more than 1,400 feet (430 meters) below sea
level. Thus, while water from the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea,
nothing can flow out of it. You’ll find this body of water often called the “Salt
Sea” in the Old Testament.

The water of the Dead Sea is eight times saltier than ocean water. It has a
33.7 percent salinity rate! The high mineral content causes anyone trying to
swim in the water to be very buoyant. No one can sink! Because of the high
mineral content in the water and because it has the lowest risk factor of UV rays from the sun, many
people visit the Dead Sea today for help with skin conditions.

An environmental emergency also exists for the Dead Sea today. Because
almost all of the fresh water from the Jordan River is used for irrigation
for farms on both the Israeli and Jordanian side of the river, no
meaningful amount of water has been flowing into the Dead Sea for
decades. Coupled with a 20-year drought (1997-present), the water of
the Dead Sea has receded dramatically. The water level has dropped 460
feet (140 meters). In the north, the shoreline has receded more than a
mile in some places. At En Bokek, a small community with several hotels,
it’s even easier to see the environmental crisis. The first hotels were built
on the shoreline of the Dead Sea in 1960. Today, it takes six miles of a Dr. Bjorgen floating in the Dead Sea
man-made canal to bring the Dead Sea to En Bokek! Likewise, at the En

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