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
Dead Sea salt minerals and salts. Major ion concentrations in the water of the Dead Sea have given the following results (which do not necessarily reflect those of Dead Sea "salt"): The major minerals present in Dead Sea mud—the result of runoff streams flowing into the Dead Sea and bringing large deposits during the Holocene era—have been shown to be the following: Dead Sea salts have been claimed to treat the following conditions: "Rheumatologic Conditions" – in balneotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation. "Common skin ailments" – for treating skin disorders such