Stalactite Cave

Soreq Cave, also known as Avshalom Cave or Stalactite Cave, is a cave on the western side of Mount Ye’ela, in the Judean hills of Israel, unique for its dense concentration of stalactites. Discovered by accident in May 1968 while quarrying with explosives, it is 83m (272 ft) long, 60m (197 ft) wide, and 15m (49ft) 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.

Stalactites and Natural sculptures of this cave formed by hundreds of thousands of years of mineral-rich water drops slowly leaving behind a rock residue. Some of the stalactites found in the cave are four meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old. 

A lighting system has been put in place to help preserve the cave’s stalactites and stalagmite from the algal threat.