The Dead Sea is 50 miles long and 11 miles wide. It is fed by the Jordan River in the north and small streams from the east. No fish or other creatures can live in this lake because of its salinity.
On its eastern side of the Dead Sea is the plateau of Mob, which rises to a height of 4,400 feet. On the western side is the plateau of Judea, which is about 2,200-feet high.
The Dead Sea is translated from the Hebrew words "Yam ha Maved," which means "Killer Sea." The lake is thought to be connected to biblical history because many believe that Sodom and Gomorrah lies beneath its waters.
At the northwest portion of the Dead Sea, in caves near Khirbat Qumrān, 600 Hebrew and Aramaic scrolls were found. Within these texts were passages from the Old Testament and one of the oldest copies of the Book of Isaiah ever to be discovered.
The waters of the Dead Sea include sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium bromide. Many of these substances, including salt, bromine and gypsum, can be extracted from the Dead Sea at low cost.
A number of people go to the Dead Sea, which is not considered harmful to humans, to swim. Because the lake is so salty, people are able to float in it. Some believe that the Dead Sea's waters, mud and salts have healing properties, especially for people with psoriasis, eczema and rashes.
