Dead Sea towns around the lake. These towns had drinking water from the Ein Feshcha springs and other sweetwater springs in the vicinity. Intimately connected with the Judean wilderness to its northwest and west, the Dead Sea was a place of escape and refuge. The remoteness of the region attracted Greek Orthodox monks since the Byzantine era. Their monasteries, such as Saint George in Wadi Kelt and Mar Saba in the Judaean Desert, are places of pilgrimage. In the 19th century the River Jordan and the Dead Sea were explored by boat primarily by Christopher Costigan in 1835, Thomas Howard Molyneux in
Săsar River Săsar, locally known as the "dead river," is unsuitable for bathing, washing, or fishing. The World Health Organization has identified the Baia Mare region as a "health risk hotspot." The Săsar River flows into the Lăpuș River, which in turn flows into the Someș River, a tributary of the Danube. Pollution in the Săsar thus eventually reaches Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria. The following rivers are tributaries to the river Săsar: Săsar River The Săsar River () is a right tributary of the river Lăpuș in Maramureș County, Romania. It discharges into the Lăpuș in Lăpușel, southwest of Baia Mare.