Floating in the Dead Sea - and more

The Dead Sea is a remarkable body of water.  It is unusual in that it has no outlet.   It draws water from the Jordan River to the north.   It is said that the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) is a living body of water because it receives water from one end and gives it to the other end.   The Dead Sea is a dying body of water, because it receives but does not give.

It cannot easily give, because at almost 430 meters below sea level, it is the the lowest-lying body of water on earth.  It is, however, in the middle of a desert area, with a hot sun most of the time - so the water can evaporate out of it very easily.  The result is a body of water with an incredibly high salt content, and it contains numerous other minerals as well.   This has led to a significant chemical extraction industry, which has not helped the lake to maintain its water level.   Its water level is dropping at about one meter per year.   When I visited the Dead Sea in 1981, one could leave the reception building and walk a short distance to the shore.   There is now a shuttle to ride for the few hundred meters between the reception building and the shore.  There are solutions proposed to bring in water from the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea to replenish the Dead Sea, but these solutions are not only expensive, but may pose significant environmental problems of their own.

It is said that the mud of the Dead Sea has minerals that restore the skin and has other therapeutic properties.  Accordingly, those visiting the Dead Sea often slather mud all over themselves and wait for it to dry and then wash it off.   Here is one of those visitors:

Penelope resembles the Incredible Hulk

Bob with his mud covering

The sea itself is saltier than any other body of water on earth.  It is impossible to sink in this water; people wade in, lift their legs, and float effortlessly.   Here are some people who are ready to relax after a tough hike, and let the sea take a load off their feet:

   

At the end of the day, we saw a synagogue dating back to about 500 CE.  Archaeologists are still checking it out, but they have found a remarkable tile floor, the locations of the Bima (Altar) and the Aron Kodesh (ark for the Torah).   It is oriented to the north - towards Jerusalem.  There is a mikvah (ritual bath) adjacent to it, and a number of other dwellings nearby.

The mosaic tile floor tells many stories.  It thanks a major donor and the other people of the city.   It recognizes the zodiac and the Jewish months that are counterparts to the signs of the zodiac.  And if contains a curse again anyone who reveals the "secret of the city".  Nobody has ever figured out what the secret is!  Who dares to even try?

The Bina and Aron Kodesh face towards Jerusalem

Note the lower floor tiling.
This may indicate renovation,
or construction atop an earlier synagogue

       

I have forgotten the name of this poisonous plant - beautiful but deadly.

 

Tomorrow - Masada!  The tragic end of the rebellion that included the destruction of the Second Temple.