The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth (1,320 feet) below sea level. It is highly concentrated with salt, so much in fact that you float rather than sink. King David, King Herod, Jesus, and John the Baptist were closely linked with the Dead Sea and its surroundings. It is also where Sodom and Gomorra existed. During the Roman occupation times the Essenes settled in Qumran, located on the northern shore. In local caves they hid their library of scrolls, which became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Also, at Masada a small group of rebellious Jewish zealots held out against the might of the Roman Legion, and later took their own lives rather than submit to the Roman forces.

In modern times the Dead Sea has become a source of salt. At the bottom of the image, the salt evaporators produce a spectacular view.

So what would the Dead Sea look like without water?

The Dead Sea during the time of Sodom and Gomora

This rendering shows what the Dead Sea would have looked like without water.

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