Beneath Israel’s hills lies Tel Maresha’s “Polish Cave,” an extraordinary 2,300-year-old columbarium dating back to the Hellenistic period, around the 3rd century BC.

Carved into limestone by the Idumaeans—a people shaped by Greek, Phoenician, and Jewish influences—this vast underground complex has walls lined with over 2,000 niches, each once housing pigeons. Far from mere livestock, these pigeons were essential: their meat provided food, they were used in ritual sacrifices, and their droppings, rich in nitrogen, became vital fertilizer, sustaining agriculture in a region where fertile soil was a luxury.

What’s especially fascinating is the scale of the columbarium. Archaeologists believe it was meticulously designed to maximize space, ventilation, and access, showcasing an unexpectedly sophisticated system. The sheer size of the complex underscores how central pigeon farming was to daily life, reflecting the Idumaeans’ ingenuity in managing scarce resources.

Centuries later, during World War II, Polish soldiers stationed nearby stumbled upon this hidden site, leaving graffiti that gave it the name “Polish Cave.” Today, this columbarium stands as a rare intersection of ancient agricultural innovation and wartime history, where remnants of two distant eras converge underground—a quiet testament to survival, resourcefulness, and unexpected discovery.