Dead Sea Soles

The anniversary of my birthday was a few weeks ago. Rachel and I decided that using the weekend to study for a Histology quiz was seriously square, so we rented a car and drove our hip selves to Ein Gedi, a little oasis in the desert by the Dead Sea, for the weekend. Besides a poorly timed head cold and my perpetually running nose, it was a wonderful trip.

The Dead Sea is located in the Jordan Rift Valley, on the border between Israel and Jordan, and its main water source is the Jordan River. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest point of dry land on earth, over 420 meters (1378 ft) below sea level. It was named "Dead Sea" because the water is so salty (around 10 times the salinity of the ocean) that nothing can survive in it; not even bacteria.

Something like 3 million years ago, the area around and including the Dead Sea was an extension of the Mediteranian Sea. Over time, shifting tectonic plates eventually isolated the Dead Sea from the surrounding water. The low elevation and extreme heat of the area cause the water of the Dead Sea to evaporate quicker than the Jordan river can dilute it. This results in a much more concentrated body of salt water than what was originally deposited from the Mediterranean. The concentrated salt water is much more dense than normal sea water which makes floating in the water effortless.

There are many more salt minerals in the water than what is found in ordinary sea water, and people use the water, and mud made from the water, as skin therapy. I just had to cover myself in mud. I figured it was part of the experience. Because of my aforementioned runny nose, I had been blowing that mother constantly for two days, and my face was pretty raw. At first the mud was relaxing. Around 90 seconds after application, my face started to sting. Around 100 seconds after application, my face was en fuego. I ran underneath the warm waterfall that was provided to wash the mud off. The warm waterfall was actually hot salt water that just fed the flames on my face. Thankfully there were some cold tap water showers nearby that put out the fire. The whole experience was really very invigorating.

The next day we took a side trip to Masada. Masada is an ancient city on top of a vary high plateau near the Dead Sea. It is thought to have originally been fortified by Harod the Great around 35 BC. In 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, a group of Jewish rebels fled and settled in Masada. The story goes that after months preparation, the Romans ascended the mountain and breached the walls of the city only to find that the entire population of rebels had killed themselves to avoid being enslaved.

There is also some mention of Masada in Holy Grail lore as a temporary holding place of the grail after the fall of Jerusalem. And for those alternative history buffs, there is a theory that the one and only Jesus Christ did not die on the cross, was actually married to Mary Magdalene and a father, and finished his days as a very old man with other Jewish rebels in the community on Masada. Whatever you believe, its an amazing place to visit.