THE DEAD SEA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 107, 28 June 1911, Page 8

THE DEAD SEA.

THE DENSITY OF ITS WATER

Undoubtedly, ono of tlio strangest things about the Dead Sea is the density of its waters, writes Jacob E. Spalford in The World’s Work. It contains 23 per cent, of solid matter, and is bulk for bulk heavier than the human body. Many believe that it is impossible to swim in this sea, and in Jerusalem ridiculous fables are told as to the impossibility of bathing here and how that no animals or vegetation can exist near its chores. As to the vegetation about its shores, this will lie referred to later, but so far as swimming is concerned tho excessive buoyancy of the water simply renders it difficult to make much* headway, but a swim is both feasible and enjoyable. Care should be taken, however, not to let the water get into the eyes. Indeed, did Palestine belong to any Power but Turkey, probably tho northern shore of tns Dead Sea would be a popular bathingstation. No doubt the chloride of magnesia, which enters so largely into the composition of the water, would be found to have medicinal and curative properties. Perhaps a better idea of the density of the water of litis inland sea may be realised from the following statistics :—ln a ton of water from the Caspian Sea there are 1 lib of salt; in tho Baltic, 181 b; in tho Black Sea, 261 b; in the Atlantic, 311 b; in the English Channel. 72ib; in the Mediterranean, Bolb ; in the lied Sea, 93ty; and in the Dead Sea, 1871 b. Only twice in modern times has there been any systematic study made of this sea first by Lieutenant Lynch, of tlio United States Navy, and then by the Due do Luyncs. For many centuries there have been no boats on it. In the mosaic (map) floor discovered in 1893 at Medaba, on the east side of the Jordan, the Dead Sea is represented as having boats with masts, sails, and oars. The date of this floor is set about the year A.D. 499. Becaxie of the saltness and bitterness of tho waters, nothing lives in the Dead Sea, absence of life is enir phasised by there being no living creatures on or around it, as, but for these small plains which have a small population, there are no towns or villages, consequently no birds arc scon around or over it. This has appealed to the native’s impressionable imagination, as lie explains: “God protect us where not a living creature praises God.”

This has given rise to the fancy statement frequently met in hooks that the noxious gases escaping from the sea deal death to any bird attempting to fly across. The fact is the region is so utterly desolate, so hot, with so few inhabitants, and so arid and waterless ,except at the points mentioned and the small oasis at Engedi, that neither birds nor creatures of any kind are met with except at those points, so widely separated, where water is* found.

Engedi is the only place on the west side where good fresh water is to bo found, and it is a remarkable coincidence that this place is spoken of as visited and conquered by Chedorlaomer when on the expedition which ended in the overthrow of Scdom and Gomorrah and other cities. This evidently was a little paradise in the time of Solomon, and is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. The name Engedi (the spring”of the wild goat—ibex) evidently was given because these creattires come here for water. The cliffs rise to a height of 1900 ft, and the crags, no doubt, afforded a natural home for them. Here the “coney” is to be found which is mentioned by Solomon in the Proverbs and David in the Psalms. Here also is the Sbittim wood which yields the gum arabic, of which wood (being also found in the Sinai Peninsula) the Ark, the tabernacle, and its furniture were made in the wilderness. This wood is largely used at the present day for the manufacture of a variety of Masonic emblems much prized by Masons.