The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a unique body of water, unlike any other on the face of the earth. It is the lowest and saltiest of all deep, natural bodies of water, and has a singular chemical composition. The remains of Roman spas found in the region provide evidence that the Dead Sea area has been known for its therapeutic advantages from ancient times.

After the establishment of the State of Israel, scientific articles relating to various fields of medicine began to appear showing that the Dead Sea region, and the Dead Sea itself, has a beneficial effect on skin, joint, respiratory, eye, and other disorders.

The Dead Sea region is Israel's major health resort area. The unique spectrum of therapies offered in the region include bathing in Dead Sea water and in the many thermal springs along the western bank of the Dead Sea, special mud packs unique to the region, and exposure to the sun and the region's unique ultraviolet radiation. In addition to these therapies, the unique climatic characteristics of the Dead Sea region are important, particularly the high barometric pressure, the low relative humidity, the consistently high temperatures, the paucity of rain, the absence of air pollution, and the high partial oxygen pressure.

Many hormonal and physiological changes take place while bathing in the Dead Sea or the thermal springs. The mechanisms by which a broad spectrum of diseases, and in particular autoimmune disorders, are alleviated have not been sufficiently clarified. They probably incorporate several factors, including a combination of mechanical, thermal and chemical effects.

The Dead Sea is alive

At some 730 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. At the bottom of the Dead Sea, in an area nicknamed the Dead Sea's "Bermuda Triangle", hot springs and magnetic motions have be detected. The continuous movement of the earth's layers is "stretching" the Dead Sea at the rate of one centimeter a year. Moreover, there is a greater amount of rare metals at this depth.

Dead Sea salt pillar

The Tel Aviv University Dead Sea Research Center, the Institute of Geophysics in Holon, the Geological Institute in Jerusalem and numerous research institutes around the world are hard at work trying to unlock the secrets of the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea Water

Comparison of Major Elements in the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean and Ocean Water


Water Source	Cl mg/l	Mg mg/l	Na mg/l	Ca mg/l	K mg/l	Br mg/l

Dead Sea	224900	44000	40100	17200	7650	5300

Mediterranean Sea	22900	1490	12700	470	470	76

Ocean Water	19000	1350	10500	400	390	65