Nestled on the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea, Neve Zohar is a small Israeli kibbutz and the world’s lowest-elevation village. It was established in the 1960s as a work camp and named after the Zohar Stream, which flows into the Dead Sea from a nearby wadi.
Neve Zohar was once home to an important ceramics factory, with its ruins now preserved as the Beit ha-Yotser Museum. From the terraced site, there are elevated views across the Dead Sea. At Neve Zohar Beach, you can enjoy a float in the sea’s salt-dense waters.
Built atop a nearby cliff is the Zohar Fortress, which is believed to date back to the Roman period when it was used to protect the area against desert raiders and salt smugglers. It was abandoned after an earthquake hit in the 6th century and several Byzantine-era artefacts have been discovered at the site.
Getting there
Neve Zohar is around an hour’s drive from Be'er Sheva and just under two hours from Tel Aviv. Ben Gurion International Airport is 1.5 hours away and has flights to destinations across the globe. Buses connect to Zeve Zohar and the kibbutz is small enough to explore on foot.