European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                January 1981 the stars and stripes Page 19 floating in the Mineral Rich Waters of a resort Region feet below sea an hour from come to life the dead sea is alive and israels dead sea Region has come to life with expanding facilities that make its Many tourist As Well As its health giving easily the dead sea extending from North to South for 50 has changed Little since lots wife glanced Over her shoulder there years As the Book of genesis tells a giant destruction occurred where the lord rained fire and Brimstone on the cities of Sodom and destroying their evil even though his wife and daughters escaped in lots wife disobeyed gods warning looked and turned into a pillar of Many formations along the Bank of the dead sea fit the description of the pillar in which lots wife is said to have been the dead sea area was in the past a Refuge for the for for rebels and recluses among them King the King Herod and jewish insurgents against roman on its Northwestern 29 Miles from excavations have revealed the ruins of the ancient town of the a sect of Ultra religious they lived in that isolated desert area during the two tourists get a lift to the top of centuries and wrote what Are known today As the dead sea these hidden for centuries in pottery jars tucked in a Cave above were found years later by a Young bedouin Shepherd and created a Sensa Tion in the world of biblical they Are now housed in the dramatic shrine of the Book at Jerusalem Israel South of Qumran is another Momen Tous site on that Flat topped Promontory feet above the Western Shore of the dead sea Are the three tiered Winter Palace of King Herod and ruins of the last jewish stronghold against the As in most of his Herod was secluded from his enemies atop a desert and the Vista from Masada included the shimmering dead his Retreat was accessible Only by a very Steep and winding which a few decades later helped protect jewish the 960 of withstood the roman siege for three when the roman legion finally succeeded in getting to the top of the in the year they found that the jews women and Chil Dren had taken their own lives rather than be carried into for Masada is a Symbol of jewish Independence and a Cable car whisks tourists up the Bare slope in minutes the winding hike takes an hour where they View heroes Palace and the water Supply system he constructed to make life possible on the isolated Masadas secluded location influenced its role in Histo but Herod must have enjoyed the climate and therapeutic Waters of the area As a fringe no less a Beauty than Cleopatra recognized the cosmetic value of a Bath in Mineral Springs near located feet below sea the dead sea is the lowest Point on its air is Rich in oxygen and free of pollution the year round dry climate is marked by Bright Sunshine More than 300 Days a even during the Winter the temperature barely drops below 77 degrees sunburn is rare because High atmospheric pressure absorbs much of the damaging ultraviolet rays of the the seas dimensions Are almost the same As those of Switzerland Lake but there the resemblance the dead sea is surrounded by a craggy desert broken by the mountains of Moab in Jordan to the East and the Hills of Judea to the a feeling of walking on the Moon is jarred Only by the handful of hotel and spa facilities which Cater to a variety of chiefly psoriasis and life cannot exist in the dead sea because of its High Salt and Mineral but these very same elements provide therapeutic treatment and cure for thousands of tourists a in spite of its the dead sea has been called by doctors a Fountain of the unusually Large concentrations of minerals and Salt in the water allow the body to float but make swimming All but Imossi people come from afar to relax in one of the worlds few bodies of water in which it is impossible to few visitors to Israel fail to visit the dead there Are three main areas offering Ein to towards the Southern end of the caters mostly to psoriasis and arthritis patents from Europe and America with a number of luxury a few Miles the Neve Zohar area has a youth Hostel and camping there is also a museum there of the history of the dead sea Region and the uses of its minerals and chemicals in such Fields As Agri culture and another youth Hostel is located the foot of at Ein half Way up the a variety of popularly priced lodgings Are available from which the nature reserves of the Region can be the Campground right on the the include Motel tents and a self service on the other Side of the Road Are a 200bed youth Hostel and a Field school of the Israel nature Protection Kibbutz Ein Gedi has a 30room guest while the Kibbutz gardens Are Ein Gedi is known for its natural mentioned in the Bible As a City of Ein Gedi was famed for its fruitful Vine Yards and abundant the Bible mentions that Ein Gedi was a hiding place for the future who took shelter there from the Wrath of King today the venturesome can Bathe in a Beautiful foaming Waterfall bearing the name of this Shepherd turned the Springs and creeks in the area Are responsible for the amazing Flora and Fauna in this otherwise completely arid both Are protected and fostered by the local Field which organizes hikes through the nature there also other uns Alty places to Bathe in the dead sea towards the Northern near Qumran 16 Miles South of is pinot Zulim Park also known by its arabic Ein the a popular Retreat for has been planned around several Brooks ambling Down to the there is swimming in Freshwater waterfalls and floating in the dead the Road along the Western Shore of the dead be links with those to Beersheba and making the area easily accessible to those on a tour of the for brochures on the dead Contact the Israel government tourist Westen Strasse d6000 Germany Israel government tourist office