Jordan River, the great holy river of Palestine, the Jordan, rises in several headstreams near Mount Hermon in the mountains of Syria and Lebanon and flows more than 322 kilometers south through the Great Rift Valley to the Dead Sea. It is one of the world’s most remarkable rivers because of its association with Hebrew and Christian history and the unique descent in its course from 79 meters above sea level to 391 meters below sea level. From ancient times the river has marked a dividing line between settled and nomad peoples.