Workers came for a day of construction, found stalactite cave instead
The exact location is still being kept a secret to prevent intruders.
By MICHELLE MALKA GROSSMANThe stalactite cave.(photo credit: ISRAEL NATURE AND PARKS AUTHORITY)
A large stalactite cave was uncovered at a construction site in an undisclosed location in central Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced on Sunday.Ever since the cave was discovered last week, researchers from the Authority and Hebrew University’s Center for Cave Research have been busy mapping and investigating the site.Under Israeli law, stalactites and stalagmites are protected as a natural resource and cannot be destroyed.For now, the exact location of the cave is being kept a closely guarded secret to prevent intruders from entering it and potentially damaging the delicate ecosystem.Stalactites are created over thousands of years by the mineral deposits left by water dripping through cracks in the ground.An estimated age for this particular stalactite cave has not yet been announced.Israel’s most well-known site of this sort is the Avshalom stalactite cave, located near Beit Shemesh. It was discovered in the 1960s, also by accident, following a blast to clear the space for quarry work. It is now a protected nature site and tourist attraction.
