Four consecutive years of drought have put several biblical bodies of water at risk: the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. The AP photographer Oded Balilty spent much of last year documenting these bodies of water and the ways locals and tourists play and worship there. The AP reports that “the Sea of Galilee stands at a century low, much of the Jordan River is a fetid trickle and the Dead Sea is rapidly shrinking.” Current predictions for the remaining winter months remain drier than normal, as farmers and residents struggle to cope, and pray for rain.
Israel Enters a Fifth Year of Drought
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An aerial photo of people enjoying a spring water pool along the Dead Sea shore near the Israeli Kibbutz of Ein Gedi on December 8, 2017. The Dead Sea, a marvel of the natural world, is shrinking after years of drought. #
Oded Balilty / AP -
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Swimmers participate in the annual Sea of Galilee swim near Tiberias in northern Israel, on September 16, 2017. About 10,000 swimmers of all ages took part in the 64th Sea of Galilee Crossing in memory of the late Ya'acov Hassid. #
Oded Balilty / AP -
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Israelis cross the Jordan River as part of their tour near the Israeli village of Menahemia on January 17, 2017. The Sea of Galilee, the country's main water source, already stands at a century low and the mighty Jordan River, known for its prominence in the Bible, could be best described along much of its length as a creek. #
Oded Balilty / AP -
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Israeli soldiers and tourists watch as Christian Orthodox pilgrims march toward the Jordan River before a baptism ceremony. The event is part of the Orthodox Feast of the Epiphany at Qasr el Yahud, the spot where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus, near the West Bank town of Jericho, on January 18, 2017. #
Oded Balilty / AP -
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Christian Orthodox pilgrims immerse themselves into the waters of the Jordan River during a baptism ceremony as part of the Orthodox Feast of the Epiphany at Qasr el Yahud, near the West Bank town of Jericho, on January 18, 2017. #
Oded Balilty / AP -
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