Avshalom Cave (), known in academic literature as Soreq Cave (; ) and popularly as Stalactites Cave (), is a 5,000 m2 cave on the western side of Mt. Ye'ela, in the Judean hills in Israel, known for its dense concentration of stalactites and other cave formations. It is a popular show cave, as well as a highly valued witness of the climate evolution over the last 185,000 years.
Name The cave is named after the Soreq/Sorek Valley (Nahal Sorek) and after Avshalom Shoham, an Israeli soldier killed in the War of Attrition.
Location Avshalom Cave is situated near Hartuv, 3 km east of Bet Shemesh, Israel.
Discovery The cave was discovered accidentally in May 1968, while quarrying with explosives.
After its discovery, the location of the cave was kept a secret for several years for fear of damage to its natural treasures.
Description The cave is 83 m long, 60 m wide, and 15 m high.
The temperature and the humidity in the cave are constant year round.
Some of the stalactites found in the cave are four meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old. Some meet stalagmites to form stone pillars.
Paleoclimate research: significance The cave has been the focus of paleoclimate research, which allowed reconstruction of the region's semi-arid climate for the past 185,000 years.Ian J. Fairchild, Andy Baker (2012). Speleothem Science: From Process to Past Environments. Section III.12.1.2, "Composite speleothem records: Soreq Cave, Israel", pp. 355-358. According to the American geologist James Aronson, the Soreq Cave is the Rosetta Stone of climate history in the Eastern Mediterranean.Eminent Jewish Geologist Voyages to Tiberias to Connect With His Roots, Haaretz, 23 March 2012.
Tourism The cave is now open to visitors, in the heart of the 67-dunam Avshalom Nature Reserve, declared in 1975. In 2012, a new lighting system was installed to prevent the formation and growth of algae.
Gallery
See also Geography of Israel Tourism in Israel
References
External links Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve at Israel Nature and Parks Authority website Photos of Avshalom Stalactites Cave, Flickr