Congregation Ohav Sholom

Travel in Israel - The Flour Cave

Off the Beaten Track in Israel - The Flour Cave.

by Michael Rosenbloom(spidermr@aol.com)

One of the more unusual attractions in the Dead Sea/Judean Desert area is the Flour Cave. It is located south of the Dead Sea and directly west of Mt. Sedom, in Nahal Perazim, a beautiful narrow gorge. It can be accessed either by car from the Arava-Dead Sea road, or on jeep via Nachal Zohar. If you want to reach the Flour Cave via Nachal Zohar, you must travel on the Arad-Dead Sea road. Stop first at the Nachal Zohar observation point on your left (you will see signs in English and Hebrew). Look down into the steep ravine below and see remnants of a building from Roman times alongside what was once a road. This was the Salt Road. The building evidently was erected for the purpose of collecting taxes for Rome, from those transporting salt from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean coast. If you are on the Arava-Dead Sea Road (Road 90), between kilometers 193 and 194, turn onto a dirt road, which leads to the Amiaz Plain. From the Amiaz Plain look for signs that point to Nachal Perazim or the Flour Cave.

Nachal Perazim is a narrow canyon with high walls. On the upper reaches of its white walls are unique swirling designs, seemingly carved in the walls, but more likely formed by the water currents of a lake, which once covered the area.

After a fifteen minute walk you come to the Flour Cave, aptly named because of the flour-like substance on your clothing when you emerge from it. The walls are composed of a white crumbling chalk-like material. You can walk upright in the cave. You should enter the cave with a flashlight or candles because it is pitch black inside. After a few minutes you see the light at the end of the cave. You then emerge from the cave, ascending in a series of naturally formed, white steps to the top of the gorge. Look behind you because you'll see the white walls of the gorge over the cave you just walked through. In past centuries, this narrow gorge was a haven for robbers and was dangerous to pass through. Now it is a pleasant site to visit, and perfect for children.

Another attraction nearby is Mt. Sedom. Mt. Sedom is different from all the mountains in the Dead Sea area because its walls are actually made from salt. You can break off a piece of the wall with your hands and taste its saltiness.

One place I'd like to return to in the future is Nachal Dragot, which is a stunning canyon with high, steep, rocky cliffs. Not far from the cliffs, where we lunched, looking down, we stumbled on a family of ibexes, not fearful of us in the least. We could hear hikers below, but couldn't see them. As I stared at the steep cliffs of Nachal Dragot, I was receiving inspiration for a future trip. Clearly, Nachal Dragot emptied into the Dead Sea on its eastern end. But where did it begin? How taxing or dangerous a hike would it be? Was the scenery below worth the effort? Are there any fresh water sources in the Nachal? Would it be a hike suitable for children? I knew I would look forward to finding out the answers to these questions as my quest for new and unusual places in the Land of Israel continues.

June 2000

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