Avshalom Cave
Encyclopedia
Avshalom Cave also known as Soreq Cave or Stalactite
s Cave , is a 5,000 sq m cave on the western side of Mt.Ye'ela, in the Judean hills, in Israel
, unique for its dense concentration of stalactites.
The cave was discovered accidentally in May 1968, while quarrying with explosives, near Har-tov, 3 km east of Bet Shemesh
, Israel. It is 83 m long, 60 m wide, and 15 m high.
The cave is named after Avshalom Shoham, an Israeli soldier killed in the War of Attrition
. After its discovery, the location of the cave was kept a secret for several years for fear of damage to its natural treasures.
The temperature and the humidity in the cave are constant year round, and it is now open to visitors, in the heart of the 67-dunam
Avshalom Nature Reserve, declared in 1975.
Some of the stalactites found in the cave are four meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old. Some meet stalagmite
s to form stone pillars.
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
s Cave , is a 5,000 sq m cave on the western side of Mt.Ye'ela, in the Judean hills, in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, unique for its dense concentration of stalactites.
The cave was discovered accidentally in May 1968, while quarrying with explosives, near Har-tov, 3 km east of Bet Shemesh
Bet Shemesh
Beit Shemesh is a city in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 80,000. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times...
, Israel. It is 83 m long, 60 m wide, and 15 m high.
The cave is named after Avshalom Shoham, an Israeli soldier killed in the War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
. After its discovery, the location of the cave was kept a secret for several years for fear of damage to its natural treasures.
The temperature and the humidity in the cave are constant year round, and it is now open to visitors, in the heart of the 67-dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
Avshalom Nature Reserve, declared in 1975.
Some of the stalactites found in the cave are four meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old. Some meet stalagmite
Stalagmite
A stalagmite is a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. This stalagmite formation occurs only under certain pH conditions within the underground cavern. The corresponding formation on...
s to form stone pillars.