POSTCARD FROM JORDAN
Not a ripple
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Along the shores of the Dead Sea is a land of simple, yet touching, courtesies.
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Photo: AFP
Startling buoyancy: The Dead Sea makes a nice bed.
THE waterfront of the Dead Sea has a stark dissimilitude from other oceanic and seashores. As we drove along the promenade from Amman (the capital of Jordan), the waters of the Dead Sea appeared without a ripple or turbulence. The air infused with quiescence, the intense stillness of the surroundings seemed enigmatic and ever so out of the ordinary. Completely landlocked, river and stream fed, the world's saltiest water body has the form and shape of a frontier province. The last blip on the map... a bailiwick where land merges into the waters and water into the horizon.
Three millennia ago, the Salt Sea (as it is referred to in the Bible) came into being. It is an extension of the Great Rift Valley system that runs through Eastern Africa. So what we see today is the vestigial relic of deep geological changes.
Lowest point
Located in Jordan and Israel (15 miles east of Jerusalem), the Dead Sea is associated with a singular unique geographical feature. The lowest point on the earth is located on the surface of the Dead Sea. The altitude ranges from 394 m to 400 m below sea level. Somewhere along the 55-km drive from Amman, a stone marker indicates the sea level. The marker creates the awareness that we are journeying, albeit imperceptibly, and actually crossing gradients on land to arrive at the lowest point on the earth.
In a coffee shop amidst the cluster of resorts, we chanced upon a group of Jordanians and expats. Armed with copies of works of the 13th century Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi, an informal, involved discussion was being held. "We meet here once in two months for discussions on varied subjects", said a gregarious gentleman informatively, "the lowest point of the earth is our group's requiem, retreat and learning base". "From this deep basin, by the embankments of restorative waters, we can only look `up'" — He looked pleased with the vein of his philosophy. We nodded. Standing at the lowest point of the earth is but an intangible amalgam of stirring sensations and experience.
In a trance
The high density of the water makes swimming quite impossible in the Dead Sea, as one is lifted too high in the water to be able to slice through and stroke. However, the startling buoyancy of the water provides a perfect bed to float. To get to the idyllic reclining state needs a bit of manoeuvring and adjusting. The sea has a rather pebbled and muddy underside, the salt water is unkindly painful to cuts and abrasions. Once the deterrents are sorted out, then the exercise of just floating becomes a self expression of a yogic trance, of just revelling in the innate joy of nothingness. The compulsions of the clock slip away. The serious floaters carry plastic-wrapped folders with reading material, heave themselves off from a rock and spend time reading on their waterbeds. Secure in the assurance that in the mineral rich water, it is quite impossible to drown.
It heals too
Inherently implied in its name, the Dead Sea is virtually devoid of plant and animal life, yet its waters are streaked and coded with curative and restorative powers. The extremely high mineral content of the waters (calcium, magnesium, potassium, bromine) from the times of Cleopatra have found their way into cosmetic medicinal compositions (compositions that can alleviate skin diseases to joint inflammation.)
The masseur at our resort convinced me to try out a mudpack. Nowhere on the earth do you find such goodness in the mud. The skin felt polished and rejuvenated, the mud sure had a way of pampering the skin.
The masseurs and locals feel that the restorative waters and air stem from the fact that this area has deep spiritual resonance (existence of many faiths like Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the site of Christ's Baptism). As I walked around the expanse of the Dead Sea shore, I found a land where we encountered simple, yet touching, courtesies. Where people are striving to be pleasant and happy. Sandwiched as Jordan is, between perennial flash points, it has tenaciously and purposefully clung to peace.
I commented appreciatively on the unbridled and raucous humour of the Jordanian people to our guide. He twinkled and sotto voce said, "In ancient times, the world's naughtiest town was situated on the southern end of the Dead Sea. Nature has washed it away. But humour and mischief runs in our blood... ."
The restorative air of the Dead Sea, I guess, has several dimensions to it.
The Scrolls
A wiry, middle-aged professor invited us for tea. He was surrounded with the accoutrements of his project pertaining to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Apparently, in 11 caves (at the site of Khirbet Qumran), the oldest manuscripts relating to the Bible were discovered. The rare manuscripts survived 20 centuries, thanks to the astringently preservative environment of the Dead Sea.
According to the professor, these texts are revolutionary pieces of information. The material comprises Biblical books in Hebrew and Aramaic, hymns and prayer books. Based on the scrolls, the professor is mapping a detailed pilgrimage that would cover all the important destinations mentioned in the scroll. "These scrolls have given a retired professor purpose. After all, it's only knowledge that can redeem existence."
Postscript
We may just take up the professor's invitation to travel as his companions. We'd get to see another angle of the Dead Sea, with one of the world's oldest texts as a guide.
SADHANA RAO
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