The River Nile is similar and flows through Egypt. The Euphrates River, Syria's longest river, is drying up and raising concerns as millions of people in Syria are losing access to water, food and electricity, from the demise of the river that can lead to a humanitarian disaster. Revelation 16:12 in all English translations. Species like gazelle, onager and the now-extinct Arabian ostrich lived in the steppe bordering the Euphrates valley, while the valley itself was home to the wild boar. [53] Water quality in the Iraqi Euphrates is low because irrigation water tapped in Turkey and Syria flows back into the river, together with dissolved fertilizer chemicals used on the fields. Clause 109 of the treaty stipulated that the three riparian states of the Euphrates (at that time Turkey, France for its Syrian mandate and the United Kingdom for its mandate of Iraq) had to reach a mutual agreement on the use of its water and on the construction of any hydraulic installation. RationalThoughtMedia 2 mo. The women have to walk 7km [4 miles] just to get a bucket of water for their children to drink, he said. The Elamite, Akkadian, and possibly Sumerian forms are suggested to be from an unrecorded substrate language. While this is bad news for farmers, it is good news for archaeologists in the country. But there is something much more remarkable about the Euphrates River than its size or significance. Author, John the Apostle writes about the Euphrates river drying up as part of a series of events that foretell the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The river was often personified as a god, and there were many myths surrounding its creation and significance. But because of the receding waters, Ratib has been able to access some sites for the first time including, for instance, a cliff with a series of pre-Christian tombs carved into its face. In Pictures: Disaster looms in Syria as Euphrates dwindles Outside the village of Rumayleh where al-Khamees lives, black irrigation hoses lay in dusty coils after the river receded so far it became too expensive to operate the water pumps. Revelation 15. The Akkadian Purattu[3] has been perpetuated in Semitic languages (cf. The father of 12 said he had not seen the river so far away from the village in decades. Supply chain delays for goods like grains, cement and fuel, which travel through New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico, could be a consequence of a dried-up Mississippi, experts say. Is the Euphrates River drying up a sign of the end times? "Sahih Muslim 2894 c This year, rainfall in southern Turkey where the Euphrates begins was the lowest in 30 years and for the past two years, the region has received only 50-70 percent of normal rainfall. The aid groups and engineers have expressed their concern at . Keep reading to discover the reasons and meaning behind the Euphrates River drying up. The creation of reservoirs with large surfaces in countries with high average temperatures has led to increased evaporation; thereby reducing the total amount of water that is available for human use. It is essential to take steps to protect and maintain the ancient sites and artifacts that are so crucial to understanding our past. Revelation 16:12 - And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. With the construction of large hydropower stations, irrigation schemes, and pipelines capable of transporting water over large distances, many more people now depend on the river for basic amenities such as electricity and drinking water than in the past. [35] Syria and Turkey built their first dams in the Euphrates in the 1970s. [100], Throughout history, the Euphrates has been of vital importance to those living along its course.