Description

A human history of one of the planet’s most iconic lakes, and the civilizations that surrounded its shores

The Dead Sea is a place of many contradictions. Hot springs around the lake are famed for their healing properties, though its own waters are deadly to most lifeforms-even so, civilizations have built ancient cities and hilltop fortresses around its shores for centuries. The protagonists in its story are not only Jews and Arabs, but also Greeks, Nabataeans, Romans, Crusaders and Mamluks. Today it has become a tourist hotspot, but its drying basin is increasingly under threat.

In this panoramic account, Nir Arielli explores the history of the Dead Sea from the first Neolithic settlements to the present day. Moving through the ages, Arielli reveals the religious, economic, military, and scientific importance of the lake, which has been both a source of great wealth and a site of war. The Dead Sea weaves together a tapestry of the lake’s human stories-and amidst environmental degradation and renewed conflict, makes a powerful case for why it should be saved.

Publisher Review

“This is a fascinating and highly readable account of the Dead Sea from remote geological ages to the present. Arielli demonstrates the importance of the Dead Sea throughout history, ending with the current environmental and political crisis created by the dramatic drop in its water level.”-Jodi Magness, author of Jerusalem through the Ages

“Arielli has written a magisterial survey of one of the most fascinating regions on the planet, exhaustively researched and clearly expressed. The Dead Sea is an eloquent call to arms to conserve this unique but vanishing geological feature before it is too late.”-James Fergusson, author of In Search of the River Jordan

“The demise of the Dead Sea is a man-made disaster that requires cooperation to reverse. Arielli’s extensive research on the Dead Sea’s religious, environmental, economic and conflict dimensions is a must read for anyone interested in joining the effort to save this natural wonder.”-Gidon Bromberg, Israel Director, EcoPeace Middle East