January
04
/ 2017
Three hikers discovered rare engravings of a menorah and a cross in an ancient water cistern in south-central Israel this past weekend. The religious symbols were found amongst other interesting icons from antiquity in a cave which was used for ritual sacrifices in the Second Temple period. The members of the Israel Caving Club were exploring in what is called the Judean Shephelah (meaning “Lowland”), a region between Palestine’s central mountain range and the coastal plains of Philistia. This area was covered with sycamore trees in ancient times. Speaking on the discovery, hiker Ido Meroz said: “We heard that there are interesting caves in the region. We began to look about and came upon this cave, which is extremely impressive
