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Dead Sea could be new world wonder

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The Dead Sea is up against the Iguacu waterfalls in South America, the Maldives and the Grand Canyon in a competition to be named one of the new wonders of the world.

The famous waters are one of the finalists in the New7Wonders of the World contest, along with Mount Vesuvius in Italy and the Great Barrier Reef.

The Dead Sea is one of only three sites in the Middle East to have made the shortlist; the others are Bu Tinah island in Abu Dhabi and the Jeita Grotto in Lebanon.

The waters of the Dead Sea are 420 metres below sea level, the lowest point on earth, and have such a high salt content that people can float on them.

In 1947 scrolls were unearthed in caves near the Dead Sea by Bedouin shepherds. They had been buried for some 2,000 years and are the oldest known Hebrew record of the Old Testament.

Artist Spencer Tunick is planning to stage one of his famous photographs of large crowds of nude people at the Dead Sea next year.

Vote for the winner here

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