a lake between Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank, now 430.5 m (1412 ft) below sea level; originally 390 m (1285 ft): the lowest lake in the world, with no outlet and very high salinity; outline, esp at the southern end, reduced considerably in recent years. Area: originally about 950 sq km (365 sq miles); by 2016 about 605 sq km (234sq miles)