Overview

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.

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9780300286878

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Reviews

“The Dead Sea [has] rigour, readability and remarkable anecdotes. . . . The book also doubles as a path, albeit an unusual one, into the complex and tortured history of this region.”—Violet Moller, The Telegraph “[A] fascinating, pioneering and wide-ranging history. . . . Arielli has written an excellent history of one of the world’s most mysterious seas and produced a powerful warning of what is to come.”—David Abulafia, Literary Review “With its wealth of archaeological insights, historical depth, and environmental warnings, this book demands to be read not only as a scholarly text but as a moral imperative.”—Sri Lanka Guardian “A fascinating dive into the notoriously salty bed of water. Equally at home in the science of desalination as he is in ancient and modern geopolitics, Arielli offers a comprehensive but briskly-paced study.—Stuart Halpern, Jewish Book Council “A lively retelling of the history of the area, using meticulous and detailed research to weave together a seamless tapestry of time.”—Life and Work “This is a fascinating and highly readable account of the Dead Sea from remote geological ages to the present. Arielli demonstrates the importance of the Dead Sea throughout history, ending with the current environmental and political crisis created by the dramatic drop in its water level.”—Jodi Magness, author of Jerusalem through the Ages “Arielli has written a magisterial survey of one of the most fascinating regions on the planet, exhaustively researched and clearly expressed. The Dead Sea is an eloquent call to arms to conserve this unique but vanishing geological feature before it is too late.”—James Fergusson, author of In Search of the River Jordan “The demise of the Dead Sea is a man-made disaster that requires cooperation to reverse. Arielli’s extensive research on the Dead Sea’s religious, environmental, economic and conflict dimensions is a must read for anyone interested in joining the effort to save this natural wonder.”—Gidon Bromberg, Israel Director, EcoPeace Middle East  

Author Information

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.

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