How did the Dead Sea get its name?

The Dead Sea got its name because no animals or plant life can survive in it. The Dead Sea is incredibly salty, with a saline content between 28 and 35 percent. The typical saline content of a sea is only between 3 and 6 percent.

The Dead Sea contains more than 35 different mineral salts that are found in massive quantities, including ions of potassium, bromine, calcium, magnesium and iodine. Aquatic creatures that enter the Dead Sea from the Jordan River die immediately, and only extremely basic organisms, such as microbes, can survive the unfavorable conditions of the Dead Sea.