Bitter Waters: America's Forgotten Naval Mission to the Dead Sea

by David Haward Bain

To lead the expedition, the navy tabbed William Francis Lynch, an officer eager to enter the esteemed yet dangerous field of Victorian exploration. Like many of his successful contemporaries, Lynch was well-read, and possessed an independent nature, but in a man who also preferred organization to chaos, and with a character that tended toward the obsessive. The expedition would force a juxtaposition of the ancient world with the modern, as the world’s newest power attempted an exhaustive scientific study of the waters of the cradle of civilization. Beyond its fascinating topic, Bitter Waters is full of broad allusions from the period that demonstrate Bain’s deep understanding of America, and serve to make the work appealing for general scholars and lay readers. Heroically engaging unfamiliar terrain, hostile Bedouins, and ancient mysteries, Lynch and his party epitomize their nation’s spirit of Manifest Destiny in the days before the Civil War.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nautical

384 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2011

Reviews

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

“On that sea … it was hard to divest ourselves of the idea that there was nothing but death in the world, and we the only living.”

It seems most of the books I’ve read about exploration are climatic because they end in disaster.

Bitter Waters from author David Howard Bain is an exception as the U.S. Navy’s 1848 expedition to map the River Jordan from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea was largely successful. Lead by the intrepid Lieutenant William Francis Lynch, the party would negotiate with sultans, parley with Arab and Bedouin tribesmen, and dodge bandit ambuscades Indiana Jones-style while traversing the waterway on two skiffs – one of copper, one of galvanized metal – on an almost surreal journey through exotic Middle Eastern culture and past curtains of Biblical historical mist.

Aided by excerpts from Lynch’s original travelogue (and fortunately, Lynch is quite the writer!), Bain paints a vivid picture of lands, characters and journeys that are both pleasantly picturesque and somewhat mystical as the landscape is suffused with Biblical landmarks from the Hebrew fortresses of Masada to the pillars of salt at Usdum. There are chance encounters with ‘lost’ tribes of Arabic Christians, a tense encounter in the bastion of Kerek, and sojourns among hermetic monks (beset by scores of fleas) in cliffside redoubts at Mar Saba. It’s a rich text, even in its depictions of the dismal Dead Sea, which is described as gloomily miasmic, a tributary lake to stygian Hades.

As good as this book is middle to end, it is unfortunately burdened by its first part. It takes 150 pages to get the expedition – nearly half the book! – onto Middle Eastern shores. And while historically detailed, the politics of expedition birthing are less lustrous that even the alkaline waters of the Dead Sea and the amount of pages spent on Lynch-contemporary, sailor-scientist Matthew Maury feels a bit much as Maury ends-up rather ancillary to core tale. It is, however, worth the struggle to get past the groundwork, as the charm of the Jordan Valley enchants the rest of the narrative.

Bitter Waters is good history, rescuing the Dead Sea mission from obscurity and helping prove the point that while tragedy dominates the explorers' bookshelf, missions of success can be just as interesting reads.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most interesting and well researched historical account of an expedition I had never heard of. The author does a great job of setting the expedition within the bigger picture of what the US was doing at that time and the lives of the key players. He also describes quite vividly the trials and tribulations of a most physically and mentally exhausting trip. There are some improvements that could be made for a future edition. First, the depictions of maps produced by the expedition are hard to read so perhaps larger ones or a modern redrawing of same would help. Second, adding a modern style, simpler, and easier-to-read map is needed. This should trace the entire route taken and identify all of the places mentioned in the narrative. (I had a hard time trying to use the pictures of the expedition maps to locate where the group was at any particular time; especially as the narrative seemed to backtrack.) Finally, in places where the author makes biblical references, it would be most helpful if he quoted the applicable Scripture verses (as some of the connections between geography and people are not apparent.) Using materials I gathered on my own trip to Israel made up for some of the deficiencies mentioned. Finally, I have to mention that the book’s description of where Jesus cast the demons into the pigs (somewhere along the Jordan River) is incorrect. That occurred along the shore of the Galilee within sight of Capernaum. I stood there with Maranatha Tours in 2013 reading the applicable Scripture verses and matching that to the terrain plainly seen. Despite my criticisms I do recommend this boo for historical and biblical reasons.

[David V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started 8-24-25. Finished 9-5-25. A scientific expedition of several metal boats and a group of U.S. Naval sailors and officers to the Middle East to study the Jordan River and The Dead Sea in the mid-1840's, including the measuring of the length, width, and depth of the Sea; gathering of information about the flora and fauna in the area, and information about the Arab tribes who lived there. A dangerous journey getting there, and dangerous journey during the expedition. They also located several geological features that corresponded to places named in the Old and New Testament. Their discoveries are little known today, but they were scientific breakthroughs.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read about an expedition I'd never previously heard of. The initial section of Naval history and the formation of the Naval academy were also fascinating to read about. Unfortunately, Bain apparently shares his subject's (Lynch) love of words and inability to wheedle down his sections. As a result, parts of it became tedious. I also had the uncomfortable feeling that the author also shared Lynch's prejudice against the peoples of the Ottoman Empire, which was disappointing. Overall, it was interesting and lead me to investigate a number of new topics.

[Tony Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book and of special interest not only to those of naval history, but also those who enjoy tales of exploration. For those reader who are familiar with names of 19th century naval heros and prominent leaders within the naval service, you will enjoy a very interesting section about Lieutenant Matthew Fontaine Maury and his rise in the service having no formal education to his becoming one of the leaders in introducing modern navigation to the Navy and in becoming the founder and superintendent of the first Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. He was also an advocate for the founding of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.

But most of this book is about the efforts and adventures of a friend and contemporary of Maury, one Lieutenant William Francis Lynch, who explored the Dead Sea in the Holy Land. How it came to pass that the United States Navy would assign a naval officer to lead a team of officers and sailors plus several civilians and Arabs to lead an expidition to the Dead Sea is one of those facts of history that has for the most part been forgotten, but in the mid 19th century was an event of historical proportions. And, of course, Lt Matthew Maury has a role in making this adventure come about and to ensure its success.

This book is not only a tale of adventure, but also of history... the kind of history about the Holy Land as it was explored 160 years ago and how it related to its history over 2000 years ago.

[Gary Brecht · Rating 2 out of 5]

While essentially a retelling of the U.S. Navy’s mission to explore the River Jordan and the Dead Sea, this is also a glimpse of the formative years of the United States Naval Academy. The two principal protagonists in this narrative are Matthew F. Maury and Lieutenant William F. Lynch. Maury, the first superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, endorsed Lynch’s proposal to send an expedition to Palestine. The purpose of the mission was two-fold; 1) survey and map the River Jordan and the Dead Sea and 2) establish credibility in the scientific and exploratory expertise of the United States Navy.

Perhaps because of the pedestrian prose, or due to a lack of drama, this recounting of Lynch’s exploration fails to generate the interest found in other early U.S. Naval missions, such as Charles Wilkes’ 1838 South Seas expedition or Isaac Strain’s 1854 expedition to the Darien Strait.

[Joseph Rizzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter of the book was interesting and unknown to me before reading it. I think at times it was a little dry and hard to get through, but worth it to get know this part of American naval history. It inspired me to want to read up on the Crusades, since the expedition often comes across former crusader strong holds.

[Chris Bartholomew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. The true story of an American Naval exploration of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. Taking place in the mid 1800's at the end of America's expansion across North America and while we as a nation were still interested in expansion across the globe. This is one of those "Who knew?" stories for me. Interesting.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1848 a small U.S. Navy scientific expedition went to the Dead Sea. This is the story of that trip as well as of the careers of two naval officers, William Francis Lynch and Matthew Fontaine Maury. An interesting read about a little known event.

[Charles Calvano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good discussion of a very little-known scientific exploration conducted early in the US's history.

[Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

in the queue...