Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
some of the topics of the Bible, many dating from before the time of Christ. Written in ancient Hebrew, and
relating contemporary events, the scrolls have offered enormous insight into the authenticity and historical
context of the Bible. Selected portions of the scrolls, many of which were in tiny fragments that have been
painstakingly reassembled, have been released over the years. But most of the information has remained
under the exclusive control of a small group of scholars authorized to study their contents.
There are other reminders of the great religious significance of the area. The Arab name for the Dead
Sea is Bahr Lut, or the Sea of Lot, and near the lake's southwest corner stands a low salt mountain that
is supposedly the biblical pillar of salt that Lot's wife was turned into after the destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah. Those notorious twin cities of sin were believed to be submerged in the Dead Sea following
a volcanic eruption. And on one shore of the Dead Sea is the fabled fortress of Masada, where the Jews
made their determined, suicidal stand against the Romans in
AD
472.
Although it is a relatively short and small river, the Jordan, source of the Dead Sea, is rich in association
for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Originating near Mount Hermon on the Lebanese-Syrian border, it
passes through Lake Huleh (the Waters of Merom in the Bible) and then into Lake Tiberias, a lake in north-
ern Israel also known as the Sea of Galilee, the area most closely associated with the ministry of Jesus.
Where Is the World's Largest Lake?
Like the Dead Sea, the Caspian Sea, situated between Russia and Iran, is a lake. Although lakes are
generally associated with fresh water, in strict geographical terms, a lake is any large inland body of wa-
ter. Completely landlocked, the Caspian Sea is the largest
lake
in the world. The Caspian, which is about
ninety-two feet below sea level, is also the lowest point in Europe.
The nearby Aral Sea is also a lake. With the Caspian and the Black Sea, the Aral once formed an im-
mense, prehistoric inland sea. The Aral was at one time the fourth-largest sea in the world, nearly the size
of Ireland. But in recent years, so much of its waters have been diverted to irrigate rice and cotton fields
that there has been a rapid drop in the Aral's water level. And as the Aral Sea shrinks, some experts suggest
that the climate in central Asia is becoming hotter.
The World's Largest Lakes
The Caspian Sea
is on the border of Iran and the former Soviet Union (Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakh-
stan, and Turkmenistan all touch the Caspian). Probably named for an ancient tribe called the Caspii, the
“sea” is most famous for producing Beluga caviar.
Lake Superior
, bordered by Ontario (Canada), Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, is the world's
largest freshwater lake and one of the five Great Lakes.
Lake Victoria (Victoria Nyanza)
, in the Great Rift Valley of mountainous East Africa, is the chief
source of the Nile River and is bordered by the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Aral Sea (Aral'skoye More)
, located in central Asia, east of the Caspian, is surrounded by the former
Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Lake Huron
, bordered by Ontario and Michigan, is the second-largest of the Great Lakes.
