Avshalom cave
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Avshalom cave (Hebrew: מערת אבשלום), also known as Soreq cave or stalactites cave (Hebrew: מערת הנטיפים) is a 5000 square meters cave, unique for its dense concentration of stalactites.
The cave was discovered accidentally on May 1968, after the use of explosives during development work, near Har-tov, 3 km east of Bet Shemesh, Israel. It is 83 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 15 meters high.
The cave is named after Avshalom Shoam, 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 for its natural treasures.
The temperature and the humidity in the cave are constant year round, and it is now open for travelers, in the heart of the Avshalom nature reserve.
Some of the stalactites found in the cave are 4 meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old. Some meet stalagmites to form stone pillars.[1]
