The Age of the Dead Sea...The rivers Zerka (Callirhoe) and Arnon, which flow into the sea from the east, carry salt solutions from many springs. The shores of the Dead Sea abound in highly concentrated thermal springs which contain rich amounts of magnesium... When these factors are taken into consideration the age of the Dead Sea, computed on the basis of its magnesium content, must be drastically reduced... The proportion of sodium to magnesium in the water of the Jordan is about 4:1; in the Dead Sea it is 1:2. If the Jordan were the only source of the sodium for the Dead Sea the age of the Dead Sea would be only about 6,000 years. But the thermal sources on the western, eastern, and southern shores contain sodium too; so may the submarine sources, which cannot be evaluated. It is likely, therefore, that the sea has existed for only about four thousand years. When again the fact is taken into account that the thermal sources are usually more concentrated when they first break out and when they are at a higher temperature, it may well be asked why the age of this sea should not be reduced still more. It is probable that deeper levels of water have a greater salt concentration. Fifty thousand years as the age of the Dead Sea was an unexpectedly low estimate: the rift in which the Dead Sea is situated is considered to be the result of a catastrophe at the beginning of the first glacial period. Now a simple reckoning shows that the saline sea with the Jordan has not existed longer than five thousand years.
Immanuel Velikovsky
OK. A real magnesium mine.
Great post, thank you.
While I have liked Velikovsky since I first read several of his books about 35 years ago, I by no means believe everything he says. We will no doubt see how long the Dead Sea has actually been there once they start counting the layers (varves) laid down each year by the annual rainfall cycles. Also, I am wondering whether there could have been any catastrophic flooding caused by the sudden influx of the Atlantic Ocean into The Mediterranean once the Pillars of Hercules were breached by post glacial sea level rise. Also, as you have pointed out, there appears to be a 2 mile diameter boloid strike in the Iraq marshes from 4,000 years ago. Perhaps there has been a significant boloid strike in the Mediterranean which could have flooded the Dead Sea. How high is the lowest terrain between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea? A catastrophe of that sort would certainly be visible in drilling cores. Can’t wait to see the results of drilling.