Dead Sea History
The Dead Sea is not lacking in historical context,
Aristotle is reported by hearsay to have commented that anyone thrown into the Dead Sea, even tightly bound, would float. In the Babylonian Talmud it is said, “Never did anybody drown in the Sea of Sodom.” The presence of Sulfur in the salt; the foul smell of Hydrogen Sulfide released by the mineral springs; the mysteriously released, flammable, foul smelling Asphalt; all these have been linked by travelers to the cataclysm of Sodom and Gommorah.
Although linked to a gruesome tale, the Dead Sea was always famous for its healing and beautifying properties, which is why Mark Anthony conquered the region for Cleopatra.
The Dead Sea owes its name to the fact that no life at all was thought possible in its waters, due to its high salt and mineral contents. Quite recently, though, microscopic mono cellular algae and organisms have been discovered which live on organic materials carried into the Dead Sea from the outer world by the various springs and rivers which flow into it.