Dead Sea level : science, exploration and imperial interests in the Near East / Haim Goren.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Introduction; Part 1: Britain, Europe and the Near East, 1830-50; 1. Palestine and the Near East, 1830-50; 2. European Military Agents in the Early 1830s; 3. The Euphrates Expedition, 1834-7; Part 2: The Dead Sea and the Jordan Rift Valley; 4. The Dead Sea and the Jordan Rift Valley; 5. Early Explorers; 6. 'The Chase After the Level'; 7. Who Should be Crowned the Great Discoverer?; 8. Additional Surveys and Triungulation; 9. Conclusive explorations; Concluding Remarks; Notes; Bibliography; Names Index; Places Index;

In the nineteenth century the Dead Sea and the Tigris-Euphrates river system had great political significance: the one as a possible gateway for a Russian invasion of Egypt, the other as a potentially faster route to India. This is the traditional explanation for the presence of the international powers in the region. This important new book questions this view. Through a study of two important projects of the time -- international efforts to determine the exact level of the Dead Sea, and Chesney's Euphrates Expedition to find a quicker route to India -- Professor Goren shows how other forces than the interests of empire, were involved. He reveals the important role played by private individuals and establishes a wealth of new connections between the key players; and he reveals for the first time an important Irish nexus. The resulting work adds an important new dimension to our existing understanding of this period.