Dead Sea Shore

Dead Sea Shore Surprises

The Dead Sea is not just mud and Masada. With a good guide you can discover very interesting highlights and Dead Sea Shore Surprises.

Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories

Ahava is an Israeli cosmetics company whose manufacturing plant and showroom are in Mitzpe Shalem. Recently the Ahava products have become the object of the BDS movement.

Mitzpe Shalem is a cooperative community that was founded in 1970. It is named after Natan Shalem, an Israeli geographer, geologist and researcher of the Judaean Desert area.

Ovnat

Avnat (or Ovnat) is a small religious cooperative community on the Dead Sea shore.

P.E.F Rock

In 1913, Captain Charles Warren, formerly the head of the London Metropolitan Police led aPalestine Exploration Fund (PEF) expedition to the northern and eastern shores to examine the constant drop of the Dead Sea. They marked a line 50cm above the surface of the Dead Sea on a protruding rock next to the springs of Ein Fashcha and engraved the initials of the fund ‘PEF’ underneath. If you search carefully on the photo below you can just identify the PEF ingraving. The road was paved in 1967 is now 4m underneath the line. The Dead Sea has lost 40m since then.

 

 

Khirbet Mazin Dead Sea Dry Dock

Also known as Qasr el-Yahud or Khirbet el Yahoud), Khirbet Mazin is a prominent Hasmonean ruin located in the delta of Wadi Mazin that functioned as a dry dock, slipway and pier for boats sailing on the Dead Sea. It is important to remember that there were no roads on the north-east shore of the Dead Sea until after the Six Day War. Until then all traffic was by sea. The dry dock was necessary due to salinity of the Dead Sea the vessels had to be washed frequently with fresh water. A large cluster of 2500 gold coins dated to King Alexander Jannaeaus (103-67 BCE) was uncovered at Khirbet Mazin.

 

 

The Salt House