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Iconic lake, ancient civilizations, and a fight for its survival.
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The Dead Sea

A 10,000-Year History

RRP$26.95

$22.91

  • Paperback

    320 pages

  • Release Date

    13 February 2026

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Summary

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 an…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780300286878
ISBN-10:0300286872
Author:Nir Arielli
Publisher:Yale University Press
Imprint:Yale University Press
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:320
Release Date:13 February 2026
Weight:304g
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“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

About The Author

Nir Arielli

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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