The Dead (Hebrew: ים המלח, Hebrew transliteration:Yam HaMelach; Arabic: البحر الميت, Arabic transliteration: al-Bahir al-Mayyit), borders Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.
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| (Israel, Jordan, Palestine) – Dead Sea Attractions |
The Dead Sea is the saltiest lake in the world. It is called "dead" because the high salinity prevents any fish or other visible aquatic organism to live in its water. The high density of the water also causes a curious phenomenon: it is impossible for a bather to sink. Its surface is the lowest point on Earth, at an elevation of 417 below sea level.
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| (Israel, Jordan, Palestine) – Dead Sea Attractions |
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| (Israel, Jordan, Palestine) – Dead Sea Attractions |
There are several nearby attractions that are worth attention:
Israel and the West Bank
Masada - Mountaintop Fortress, Masada National Park is 18 km south of Ein Gedi, or 12 km from Ein Bokek to the cable train on the east. Masada is a mountaintop fortress which King Herod transformed in 35 BC into a 3 tiered winter home. The siege of Masada has become in Israel a popular story of heroic resolve, with some accounts reporting that the defenders committed mass suicide instead of surrending. Masada is a UNESCO Word Heritage Site.
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| Dead Sea - Masada - Mountaintop Fortress |
Masada Sound and Spectacular Light Show recounts the dramatic history of Masada with special pyrotechnic effects. Spectators sit in a natural amphitheater on the west side of the mountain, reachable only via Arad, 20km away.
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| Dead Sea - Masada Sound and Spectacular Light Show |
Ein Gedi Oasis and Kibbutz. Ein Gedi is a real oasis with lush vegetation, nestled between two streams, amidst the arid landscape.
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| Dead Sea - Ein Gedi |
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is situated near the Kibbutz, visitors have access to the adjacent nature reserve for viewing bird sanctuaries and wildlife of the desert, including the Nubian ibex. Hikers have the choice of following two riverbeds and can follow trails past waterfalls, springs, caves, canyons and an early Bronze Age temple.
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| Dead Sea - Ein Gedi Nature Reserve |
Qumran - The Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran National Park is off of Route 90 near Kibbutz Kalia, north of the Dead Sea. The park is about a 40-minute drive from Jerusalem in the West Bank. The ancient caves and settlement at Qumran on the northern shores of the Dead Sea where the oldest biblical documents ever found trace the history and daily lives of the mystical Essenes, a Jewish sect that fled Jerusalem 2000 years ago.
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| Dead Sea - Qumran |
Jordan
Historic Mount Nebo provides a panorama of the Holy Land, and to the north, a more limited one of the Jordan River valley. The excavated remains of a church and a monument commemorating the biblical story of Moses and the bronze serpent stand atop the mountain. Mount Nebo is a short 15 minute drive from the Dead Sea.
The nearby town of Madaba known as the 'City of Mosaics' is famous for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of Palestine and the Nile delta at St. George Church.
The Baptism Site (Bethany Beyond the Jordan) at the Jordan River, the location archaeologists are claiming is the baptism site of Jesus by John the Baptist, is a short 10 minute drive from the Dead Sea resort area. Buses transport visitors down to the river basin, and guided tours include visits to a Jordan River overlook, the excavated remains of the Baptismal Site, John the Baptist Church, and down to the River bank.
The Dead Sea Panoramaic Complex/Dead Sea Museum is a new complex of regional museum about the Dead Sea, panorama lookout, restaurant and conference hall on a steep cliff high above the Dead Sea near Hammamet Ma'in it is accessible from both the Dead Sea and Madaba by car, however it is difficult to reach by public transport. The museum is run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and has some fascinating information about the geology, ecology (animal and plant), archaeology, history and industry of the Dead Sea and surrounding area.It has also information about the environmental problem concerning the Dead Sea, such as decreasing of the Dead Sea water level and sinkhole in the Dead Sea coast. As the name suggests it has a magnificent view of the Dead Sea and the hills beyond it. Watching the sunset from here is a wonderful experience.
The Mujib Reserve of Wadi Mujib is the lowest nature reserve in the world, located in the mountainous landscape to the east of the Dead Sea, approximately 90km south of Amman. The 220 square kilometers reserve was created in 1987 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and is regionally and internationally important, particularly for the bird life that the reserve supports. The Mujib valley is being developed for adventure tourism, and a number of facilities have been established including a Visitors' Centre and a beach area on the Dead Sea. Experiencing Jordan’s Grand Canyon involves swimming, jumping, abseiling and floating. Its red walls are filled with running water that plunges through a 15 m waterfall.
Hammamat Ma'in is a remarkable series of natural hot springs and waterfalls, some of which have been channeled into pools and baths. A spa resort is located in the vicinity of the waterfalls.
Lot's cave is found on the site of the remains of an old church. The cave is believed to the the one Lot took refuge in with his two daughters when God according to the Bible destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The cave and part of the church ruins are fenced off.
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| Jordan - Lot's cave |
(Wiki and Terragalleria)
