Nof Dolev Cave, Binyamin
- Grid ref.
- 150567/154817
- Location
- West Binyamin
- Elevation
- +199 m
Cave mapView the map (PDF)Cave description:
Nof Dolev Cave is a medium-sized cave consisting of a single chamber that developed in chalky marl rock of the Ktana Formation.
The cave appears in the karst survey conducted in the early 1990s by Itai Fishenhadler in the stream basin. In this survey the cave was mapped and marked as cave number 129. A repeat survey of the cave was carried out by Vladimir Buslov, Yuri Lisovich and Boaz Langford in August 2015. Information about the cave also appears in the maps of the 'Amud Anan' site.
The cave has two entrances opening at the height of the northern bank of Wadi Dilb (Nahal Dolevim). The main entrance appears natural and the secondary one appears hewn. The main entrance measures 10X1.9 m and its general shape is vaulted. At the bottom of the entrance a massive fieldstone wall was built, which has been partly destroyed. The entrance opens on the western side of the cave space and light penetrates through it to most of the area of the space. The cave space consists of an elongated chamber measuring 30X10 m and up to 3.5 m high. The floor of the space is horizontal and covered with compacted gray sediment, organic material and a few stones. Several large rocks cover the center of the eastern side of the chamber and appear to originate from a local collapse of the cave ceiling. The cave walls and ceiling are vaulted and consist of weathered, sooty rock.
Few arthropods were observed throughout the cave: several species of spiders, an Egyptian cockroach (male and female), small flies, ants. In addition, old porcupine quills and droppings were seen, as well as a single bat, apparently one of the small horseshoe bat species. In the cave ceiling there is a swallow's mud nest.
Notes:
- The cave can be reached on foot from the settlement of Talmon. It is possible to reach by private vehicle to about 200 m from the cave entrance.
Written by: Boaz Langford
