Chemical compositions of lavas from the Dead Sea Rift System volcanism indicate a typical intraplate setting during the period between Jurassic and Actual. Whole rock Potassium-Argon geochronology on 43 basalts reveals a strong and general activity between Berriasian and Valanginian times and also a constant activity during the Tertiary but with a large gap between 16 and 8 Ma. The volume and timing of the volcanism is controlled by the left-lateral mouvement along the Rift.