This page was translated from Hebrew and has not been reviewed yet. The Hebrew page is the reference. עברית

Har Arif Crater Cave

Grid ref.: 122890/980288
Location: Har Arif
Elevation: 746 m above sea level

Description of the cave:

Har Arif Crater Cave is a small cave that was formed by phreatic dissolution processes in limestone of Lower Cenomanian age and was exposed in the eastern wall of the southern (large) crater of Har Arif. The opening measures 1X1 m and is rounded. The cave opening leads to a short passage sloping south that, after about 1.5 m, connects to another passage turning west (A). This passage is wider; its floor is covered with loose soil, a few rocks, and porcupine and hyrax droppings. In the western part of the passage there is a pair of low openings, one leading west and the other south. The western opening leads to a rounded room (B), measuring 2.8X2 m and up to 1.6 m high. The floor of the room is horizontal and covered with soil; its ceiling is built of uniform rock in which a prominent dissolution dome gapes. From the walls and ceiling of the room hang cave deposits including stalactites and elephant ears. On the southern side of the room, at floor level, there is a low opening connecting to the inner part of the cave. Beyond the opening, on its southern side, there are tiny niches full of cave deposits, which look like points of paleokarst that were intersected by the cave space.

The southern opening at the end of passage A also leads to the inner part of the cave. This part consists of a wide passage extending south. The outer part of the passage (B) looks like a rounded space separated from its inner part (D) by a downward slope of the ceiling of the space, forming a low opening. The southern part of the passage (D) slopes south, is 1.1 m wide and 1.5 m high. At the end of this space there is a low step forming a low horizontal platform at the end of the cave. It seems that the structure of the platform, as well as the distance of this point from the cave opening, caused this area to be preferred by guests visiting the cave. This can be inferred from the concentration of bones and hyena feces, as well as the concentration of porcupine droppings and guano, found at the place.

Notes:

The cave opening can be reached on foot from the bottom of the southern crater of Har Arif.
Progress in the cave is by stooping or crawling.

Written by: Boaz Langford