The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, at 407 meters (1,320 feet) below sea level. It is fed by the Jordan River (which comes from several sources, mainly the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in Syria) and flows down into Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee), 212 meters below sea level. It then drains into the Dead Sea which, at 407 meters below sea level, is the lowest point on earth.

The Dead Sea is landlocked and fed by the Jordan River and a number of wadis. With no outlet to the sea, intense evaporation concentrates its mineral salts and produces a hypersaline solution. The sea is saturated with salt and minerals–its salt content is about eight times higher than that of the world’s oceans–and earns its name by virtue of the fact that it supports no indigenous plant or animal life. The Dead Sea also has hot springs that are famous for their therapeutic mineral waters, drawing visitors from all over the world.