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Agence France-Presse

Israeli cave explorers said on Thursday they have discovered the world’s longest salt cave near the desert site where, according to the Bible, Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt.
The researchers said the cave beats the current record-holder in Iran.

Named Malham, the cave stretching over 10km (6.25 miles), runs through Mount Sodom, Israel’s largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.
Pale salt stalactites hang from the ceilings and some of the walls sparkle with salt crystals. Drops of salty water are visible at the tips of some of the stalactites.

Malham became known to researchers through the work of Amos Frumkin, founder and director of Hebrew University’s Cave Research Centre, who in the 1980s mapped around 5km of it.
But in 2006, researchers mapped over 6km of the Cave of the Three Nudes in southern Iran’s Qeshm island, granting it the widely recognised status of the world’s longest salt cave.


Two years ago, Israeli spelunker Yoav Negev decided to complete Frumkin’s work, reaching out to Bulgarian cave explorers for reinforcements with the promise of a warm winter adventure.
Negev, founder of the Israel Cave Explorers Club, joined forces with Boaz Landford, a researcher at the university’s research centre, to organise a delegation of eight European spelunkers and another 20 locals. They spent some 10 days mapping the cave in 2018.

During one dinner break in the Malham cave, the explorers felt their pasta lacked seasoning: “So we just broke some salt off one of the rocks and used that,” Langford said.
A second 10-day expedition in 2019 with 80 local and international spelunkers completed the measuring and mapping of the cave with lasers, determining its length to be over 10km.

Mount Sodom is essentially a huge salt block covered by a thin but resilient layer of cap rock.
The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt to form small caves that flow down towards the Dead Sea.


Even in the short period of time since Frumkin’s mapping, the cave’s structure had changed, and would continue to do so.
Much of the cave’s interior is covered by a fine dust that blows in from the desert. Massive slabs of salt jut out to form dramatic installations.

A thin slab appearing to have been sliced out is nicknamed “The Guillotine”, while twin slabs in a different hall earned the title “The Ten Commandments”.
Reporters touring the site clambered and crawled through the narrow passages before reaching the “wedding hall”, where hundreds of white stalactites of various shapes and lengths created a festive backdrop.

To Negev, Malham was in “a category of its own”.
“There’s nothing like it in Israel,” he said, claiming that no other cave came even close to the 10km mark.
Negev pointed to its vast network of “caverns, passageways, piers, plateaus, one over another”.
He called it “the most impressive and complex in Israel … and one of the most beautiful and fascinating ones I’ve been in”.
Negev downplayed the significance of retaking the title from Iran – Israel’s main enemy – saying he had “excellent ties” with Iranian spelunkers through social media and professional conferences.
“The political rivalry creates a desire to connect and mutual curiosity,” he said. “They’re really excellent spelunkers. I wish I could visit there.”
Additional reporting by Reuters


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Israel

Israel finds world’s longest salt cave under Mount Sodom, near where Bible says Lot’s wife froze

Journalists walk in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel on March 27, 2019. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Yoav Negev, chairman of the Israel Cave Explorers Club and project leader of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, shows journalists around the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel on March 27, 2019. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Yoav Negev, chairman of the Israel Cave Explorers Club and project leader of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, shows journalists salt stalactites in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel on March 27, 2019. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Boaz Langford (R), Member of HU’s Cave Research Center and head of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, along with Yoav Negev (2nd-L), chairman of the Israel Cave Explorers Club and project leader of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, and Efraim Cohen (L), member of HU’s Cave Research Center, talk to the press in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel on March 27, 2019. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

This picture taken on March 27, 2019 shows general view of the scene outside the Malham cave at Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Yoav Negev, chairman of the Israel Cave Explorers Club and project leader of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, licks a salt rock in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel on March 27, 2019. - Israeli spelunkers announced on March 27 that a salt cave near the Dead Sea was over ten kilometres long, beating Iran's N3 cave in Qeshm to make it the world's largest. The cave, named Malham, is a series of canyons running through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spilling out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Water dripping from a salt stalactite in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom on March 27, 2019. Photo: AFP

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Students Ada Chornelia and Ade Prasetyo Agung explore former Buddhist tourist cave Menglun Cave, near Xishuangbanna Tropical Gardens, Mengla county, Yunnan. SCMP/Tessa Chan [FEATURES 2019]

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Bats roost in Menglun Cave, a deserted former Buddhist tourist cave in Mengla County, Yunnan

SCMP/Tessa Chan
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Wing span measurement, bat trapping at night in the rainforest with Dr Alice Hughes and her research team at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) SCMP/Tessa Chan [FEATURES 2019]

One of many construction sites en route to Tiansheng Qiao karst area in Zhaotong Yunnan. SCMP/Tessa Chan [FEATURES 2019]

Bat trapping at night in the rainforest with Dr Alice Hughes and her research team at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) SCMP/Tessa Chan [FEATURES 2019]

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China produces more cement in one year than the rest of the world combined. Cement mixer in Tiansheng Qiao karst area in Zhaotong Yunnan. SCMP/Tessa Chan [FEATURES 2019]

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Work scenes of Dunhuang Research Academy at Mogao Caves photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

Digital representation of Mount Wutai, content of Mogao Cave 61 photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

Fion Lin Hoi-yan, assistant curator of Hong Kong Heritage Museum photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

From replica of Mogao Cave 254 photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

Dr Lee Chack-fan, Director of Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole, also an expert on Dunhuang caves, photographed at the University of Hong Kong in Pok Fu Lam. 20AUG18 [FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Donor Portrait of Lady Wang from Taiyuan in Worship, content of Mogao Cave 130 photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

An interactive game of Buddhist god versus a demon photographed at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Looking at how technology was used to scan the Dunhuang caves for this exhibition. 07AUG18 [FEATURE ARTS] SCMP / Xiaomei Chen

The exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin uses digital scanning and multimedia to illustrate the world famous art from the Mogao caves in Dunhuang, central China. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

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According to the Old Testament, character was turned into a pillar of salt after ignoring a warning by angels not to look back at Sodom


According to the Old Testament, character was turned into a pillar of salt after ignoring a warning by angels not to look back at Sodom.
