Hazan caves

Hazan Caves is a Bar Kokhba hiding complex located in the Shephelah,^[1] just west of Bnei Dekalim. The site's name derives from the Arabic word khazana (coffer, treasure).^[2] This is how the Arab villagers in the area called the site, which was looted by antiquities robbers many years ago.

The complex consists of karst caves, rock-cut cavities, underground rock-cut agricultural facilities and water cisterns connected to each other by underground tunnels and burrows. The site was discovered in 1979 by the eldest son of Moshav Amatzia - Ametzia Aboderam who was killed in duty as a team commander in the 35th Paratroopers Brigade (Israel).^[2]

In 2021, the site was declared as a national park and work began in order to make the site accessible to the public.