A unique process for the extraction of traces of lithium (approximately 30 mg/L) from evaporated Dead Sea brines, which contain approximately 36% dissolved salts, was developed at the research facilities of Dead Sea Works, Ltd. In this process a highly concentrated sodium phosphate solution is mixed with the brine. The gelatinous precipitate is separated by high speed centrifugation and a dry mixed phosphate salt containing about 0.4% lithium is obtained. Calculations based on experimental data indicate that the driving force for the reaction is the low solubility of the Li3PO4 salt. However, this salt was not identified by X-ray diffraction of the precipitates. The process was developed to pilot plant scale, where a few hundred liters of Dead Sea brine were run in continuous mode. In these large scale experiments, the optimal conditions for the extraction of lithium from DSW brines on a continuous basis were determined. In the continuous process, over 80% of the lithium present in the brine was extracted with a mean residence time of reaction of 20 minutes. Further investigation showed that the mixed phosphate salt readily decomposes in water, producing after filtration a highly pure mixed calcium-magnesium phosphate salt, the remaining solution being essentially free of Ca++ and Mg++ ions and containing all of the lithium precipitated. The lithium concentration is between 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm, depending on the amount of water used for the decomposition of the original precipitate and washing of the filtrate.