The Dead Sea with travellers on its shore, 19th-century illustration. The Dead Sea is the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7 per cent salinity. Evaporation around the edges of the body of water leads to the formation of salt deposits. Artwork published in 'Les arteres du globe' ('The Arteries of the Globe', 1888), a work on hydrology and geology by Paul Bory.