This dataset provides lithological data from ICDP core 5017-1-A, retrieved from the deep northern Dead Sea basin in 2010/11, for the last glacial-interglacial transition (ca. 17-11.5 ka BP). The microfacies of the Lisan Formation was investigated between ~101 and 88.5 m sediment depth below lake floor by continuous thin section microscopy, while additional macroscopic information is provided from core catchers, as well as from over- and underlying sediment sections. Thin sections were prepared following the standard procedure by Brauer and Casanova (2001) that was adjusted for salty sediments. Thin section analyses were performed on overlapping large-scale thin sections using a Zeiss Axiolab pol microscope at magnifications of 50-400x.