According to Biblical accounts, the Dead Sea region was a place of refuge for David after he was anointed king and Saul, unhappy with that turn of events, plotted to kill him. It was also the world’s first health spa as Herod the Great, the Queen of Sheba, Cleopatra, King Solomon and many others dallied on its mesmerizing shores. They came to soak up the benefits of the sun, dry climate, low pollen and allergen content, reduced ultraviolet rays due to the low atmospheric pressure and bountiful minerals with specific health effects. Those health benefits appear to be real enough. Even today, modern doctors encourage patients to visit the area to take advantage of those same healthy qualities.
A Unique Chemistry
Nearly ten times as salty as the world’s oceans at 33.7%, the Dead Sea’s unique chemistry creates over 35 types of valuable minerals. Many have been touted throughout the centuries as the cure for what ails you! The minerals and mud of the Dead Sea are said to change lives, especially for those with health problems ranging from asthma to arthritis and fibromyalgia. As such, mining those minerals financially enriches Israel and those who work in and around the landlocked lake. This matchless wonder of the world….
- generates around $3 billion annually.
- contains virtually an unlimited supply of potash, enough to last 1000 years.
- is 4th largest producer of potash for fertilizer worldwide, exporting to over 60 countries.
- includes magnesium chloride, used by a global automotive and aerospace industry.
- produces various industrial salts, de-icers, bath salts, and table salt.
- generates the raw materials for the well-known Dead Sea cosmetics industry.
Unsinkable
There is one thing that everyone knows about the Dead Sea….you cannot sink in its waters. Try as you might, you struggle just to get your feet underneath the water…..you float like a butterfly or bob like a cork, to borrow phrase! The fact is, half of your body weight settles underneath the water and the other half stays above, whether you are on your back or standing upright. However, if you PERSIST and succeed in getting totally under the salty water….be careful. Not only can the sea’s chemistry poison you, the sea’s density will RESIST, with all its salty might, your attempts to lift your head out of the water.
Persisting In Resisting
In the Gospel of John Jesus quotes a passage from Isaiah that deals with persisting in resisting God, 37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said, 40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts—so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.” [John 12: 37, 39 – 40] (NLT) This passage is at the heart of a religious argument that God chooses to save some, while deliberately hardening the hearts of others. The truth is, God waits patiently and lovingly for each of us to come to Him, however…He does not stand in our way if we persist in our unbelief.
Universal Laws
Everyone, believer and non-believer, is subject to God’s universal laws: gravity, the cycle of seasons, the realities of night and day, and the law of the spirit that says “what you persist in doing is what you will become.” Hardened hearts and blinded eyes are the results of resisting God. When we think we can wait until the “time is right” to become fully engaged with Jesus Christ…..after an education has been completed, after a career has been secured, or after the kids have grown up….. we need to rethink our priorities, for what is at risk is where we will spend eternity.
Science of Saltiness and Saturation
The headlines about a dying Dead Sea resonates with people worldwide. Yes, life cannot exist in its unique waters and the water level, viewed by many as an environmental crisis, is significantly lower than even a few years ago. However, according to those who study these things, the science of saltiness and saturation will keep the Dead Sea from sliding into nothingness. Experience the Dead Sea, one more Holy Land wonder, on a faith-based tour of Israel. Its beauty and resilience will mesmerize you, while a float in its waters will leave you silky smooth and refreshed!
Tours to the Holy Land 