The Stalactite Cave

The Stalactite Cave, also called the Sorek Cave, is located on the western slopes of the Judean Mountains near Bet Shemesh. We hiked down to the entrance to the cave and the view was beautiful.

The cave, 82 meters long and 60 meters wide, was discovered accidentally by workers blasting at the nearby quarry. This small cavern contains a wondrously varied world of stalactites and stalagmites. Some formations are at least 300,000 years old and can help scientists track climate changes in our region over the millennia.

Some of the stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the cave are up to four meters long, and in some cases they fuse with stalagmites growing from the floor. They can range from a few millimeters to a few meters in diameter.

Other formations resemble shelves or sheets of cloth, branches, corals and clusters of grapes, among many other objects. In several still-active areas of the cave, which maintains constant heat and humidity year-round, the stalactites and stalagmites continue to grow.

There were tour groups of students at the caves.

We left the caves and had lunch, then visited an ice cream shop where we saw young men and women dressed in military uniforms.

Another place we visited was a church where Mary's well was located.

After a visit to the well, we climbed many steps to the church on the hill above.

When we reached the top near the church, Kathy's camera battery died. As Mickey Mouse would say, "That's all, folks!"