The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History

A human history of one of the planet’s most iconic lakes, and the civilizations that surrounded its shores

The Dead Sea is a place of many contradictions. Hot springs around the lake are famed for their healing properties, though its own waters are deadly to most lifeforms--even so, civilizations have built ancient cities and hilltop fortresses around its shores for centuries. The protagonists in its story are not only Jews and Arabs, but also Greeks, Nabataeans, Romans, Crusaders and Mamluks. Today it has become a tourist hotspot, but its drying basin is increasingly under threat.

In this panoramic account, Nir Arielli explores the history of the Dead Sea from the first Neolithic settlements to the present day. Moving through the ages, Arielli reveals the religious, economic, military, and scientific importance of the lake, which has been both a source of great wealth and a site of war. The Dead Sea weaves together a tapestry of the lake’s human stories--and amidst environmental degradation and renewed conflict, makes a powerful case for why it should be saved.

Nir Arielli is professor of international history at the University of Leeds. He is the author of From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers and Fascist Italy and the Middle East. He has also written contemporary political commentary for the Globe Post, Haaretz and the Conversation.