New Books in Middle Eastern Studies The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History
Apr 13, 2025
Nir Arielli, a professor at the University of Leeds and author of The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History, takes us on a fascinating journey through the Dead Sea's historical and ecological significance. He discusses the iconic region’s biblical ties to ancient settlements like Jericho and its dramatic environmental shifts. The conversation also covers modern challenges, including water reduction and resource exploitation, as well as ambitious yet daunting restoration efforts aimed at preserving this unique ecological landmark for future generations.
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Dead Sea’s Unique Biology
- The Dead Sea's extreme salinity kills most life, but some hardy microbes and algae survive.
- This makes the "Dead Sea" name mostly accurate but not entirely without life.
Dead Sea's Environment and Communities
- The Dead Sea lies at the lowest point on Earth and is surrounded by desert.
- It has high buoyancy making floating effortless and has politically divided communities along its shores.
Early Human Settlements Near Dead Sea
- Archaeological remains from the Natufian culture near Jericho show early sedentism around 11,000-10,000 BCE.
- Jericho is one of the earliest settlements but only later considered a city during the Bronze Age.
