Dead Sea !

The Dead Sea lies about 20 miles west of Jerusalem in a basin at the lowest point on Earth. The sea's history goes back to Biblical and ancient times. Legend holds, for example, that Cleopatra so loved its waters that she traveled there from Egypt to bathe in them. Likewise, people from all over the world travel to the Dead Sea to laze in its dense waters and bask in its rich mineral content.

Name

The Dead Sea goes by many names, according to Bible Places, an online resource that tells stories of locations mentioned in the Bible. These names include the Sea of the Devil, the Sea of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Stinking Lake. In Hebrew, the Dead Sea is known as "Yam ha Maved," or "The Killer Sea," according to the scientific information resource Extreme Science. It is so named because its waters are deadly to most marine life, save for certain bacteria and algae. The Dead Sea's waters rank among the saltiest in the world. Its saline content reaches up to 35 percent. The deeper the water, the higher the salt content. It is common for visitors to find salt-covered fish dead and washed up on the shore, having veered into the Dead Sea from one of its freshwater feeder streams.

Biblical Significance

In comparison to the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea plays only a minor role in Biblical writings. According to Bible Places, the Dead Sea's main relevance was that it blocked people from entering Judah from the east. The prophet Ezekiel predicted that one day, the Dead Sea's waters would turn fresh and allow the body of water to sustain aquatic life. The Dead Sea Tourist Information Center promotes stronger Biblical connections, saying the body of water is linked to the stories and doings of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, King David and King Herod.

Health

The Dead Sea's waters are deadly to fish, but have become a popular means of treating some human ailments. People travel to the region throughout the year for treatment of skin disorders, including psoriasis and eczema, as well as disorders of the joints. The water's salt content allows humans to float almost effortlessly, according to Extreme Science. Companies such as the Dead Sea Works, which operates at the sea's southern basin, harvest minerals from the water and package them for therapeutic use.

Formation

The Dead Sea, despite its name, is in fact a lake that formed from the spreading of tectonic plates, according to Extreme Science. Already extremely deep--its bottom sits more than 2,000 feet below sea level--its bottom is believed to drop about one foot per year. No water escapes the Dead Sea, and much of the water that flows into it evaporates quickly. Evaporated water leaves behind its mineral content, which accounts for the Dead Sea water's chemistry.
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Source:http://traveltips.usatoday.com/dead-sea-1241.html