Prophecy of wars and doom renewed as life teems around deadly sea near Jerusalem

Nearly 2,500 years ago, two prophets had visions of the Dead Sea coming to life as waters flowed east from Jerusalem. The deadly waters were healed, fruit trees bloomed, and fish thrived. Believers think that this is linked to a prophecy about catastrophic wars and the end of humanity. But this exact scenario is unfolding next to the barren body of water. Freshwater pools filled with plants and aquatic life have emerged beside it about 20 kilometres east of Jerusalem.

The Dead Sea has an extremely high salt concentration that does not allow for any fish, seaweeds or aquatic plants to survive. The salinity level is around 34 per cent, nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. This environment would kill any kind of life almost immediately. So the discovery of this pool of water supporting life has come as a surprise, with some people seeing it as a precursor to the prophecy about catastrophe and doom.

Prophets had visions of waters flowing to the Dead Sea

Ezekiel 47 describes water flowing east from under the threshold of a temple in Jerusalem before entering the sea. "When these waters enter the sea, the waters will be healed, and everything that enters this river will live," the passage says. Later, Zechariah also described a similar vision, and said that "living waters" would flow out of Jerusalem. Also Read: 'Charming' Antichrist will deceive the world: Priest warns Biblical prophecy could soon come true

Scientists don't see it as a supernatural event and have a reasonable explanation for what is happening in the Dead Sea. They attribute the pools of fresh water to sinkholes around sections of the shoreline.

The Dead Sea contains a mix of magnesium chloride, potassium and calcium. The dense waters allow people to float on water. Today, fresh water is travelling through porous limestone from higher ground around Jerusalem, with gravity carrying it east. The Dead Sea is located about 1,400 feet below sea level, and hence is the lowest exposed point on Earth. Also Read: Rapture did not happen, but another world-ending event has been prophesied for 2026

It is also receding, which led to underground freshwater springs being exposed. Clear pools have appeared at the bottom of sinkholes, with reeds, algae, insects, birds and small aquatic organisms forming small ecosystems in a region that has only been seen as dead all these years. In 2016, a fish was photographed in the pool of fresh water.

People link revelation to a prophecy about Israel

But some people have connected it to a biblical passage about Israel, whose restoration is followed by a group of nations invading the country during the "last days." It kick-starts a period of tribulations, with Zechariah saying the Mount of Olives will split from east to west when the Lord returns. This is when the living waters will flow towards Jerusalem. However, none of these things has happened.

But scientists have documented more than 9,000 sinkholes on the Israeli side and call the pools of water an environmental crisis. So it is neither the end of times, nor is it a sign of Jesus descending on Earth.