Story highlights Spelunkers in a stalactite cave stumble across silver coins and jewelry 
 
 Antiquities authority: The treasure might have been hidden during a period of unrest 
 
 The find leads archaeology officials to artifacts from even older periods 
 
 (CNN) Hen Zakai loves exploring darkness. In his spare time, he lowers himself into the underground world of hidden caves to navigate the nooks and crevasses of a very different environment. 
 
 Zakai was recently spelunking with his father and a friend, all of whom are members of the Israeli Caving Club, when Zakai spotted a shiny silver object in one of the most well-hidden stalactite caves in northern Israel. 
 
 As Zakai moved in for a closer look, he found two ancient silver coins stashed inside a nook. The coins were meant to be hidden, perhaps to be retrieved at a later date. Instead, they lay in secret for more than 2,000 years in a small hoard that will give archaeologists a valuable insight into ancient Israel. 
 
 "We saw the pictures of some of the items that were found in the cave," says Eitan Klein, deputy director of the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit at Israel Antiquities Authority, "and we understood that we are talking about something very, very unique." 
 
 The two silver coins were minted during the reign of Alexander the Great, who conquered the region in the late fourth century B.C. On one side of the coin is an image of Alexander the Great, while on the other side is an image of Zeus sitting on his throne, arm raised as if ready to wield his fearsome lightning bolts. The coins allowed archaeologists to date the find. 
 
 Read More ||||| Some objects even merged with the stalactites. This silver ring contains an accumulation of crystal that was apparently formed inside the stalactite cave. Greek Tomb Held at Least Five Corpses 
 
 Nested in the clay oil lamp, the agate stones are extremely well preserved, as if they were brand new. Speculation Rages About Dead in Greek Mystery Tomb 
 
 A clay oil lamp was also unearthed as part of the cache. Dating from the Hellenistic period, the lamp contained some agate stones that were part of a string of beads. Skeletons in 6,000-Year-Old Embrace Found in Cave 
 
 Alongside the coins, the spelunkers found a small treasure trove: two coins of Alexander of Macedon, three rings, four bracelets, two decorated earrings, three other earrings, probably made of silver, and a small stone weight. Largest Trove of Gold Coins Found off Israel 
 
 Stashed inside a niche, one of the spelunkers first spotted two ancient silver coins. On one side of the coins was an image of Alexander the Great, while the other side portrayed Zeus sitting on his throne. The archaeologists believe the coins had been minted in the late fourth century BC at beginning of the Hellenistic Period during the reign of Alexander the Great. PHOTOS: Excavating a Celtic Prince's Tomb 
 
 The 2,300-year-old treasure was found by three members of the Israeli Caving Club who wriggled through a narrow passage at the entrance of the stalactite cave and wandered inside for several hours. Skeletons Shed Light on Ancient Earthquake in Israel 
 
 A rare cache of jewerly and silver coins, minted during from the reign of Alexander the Great, has been discovered in a stalactite filled cave in northern Israel. Alexander The Great-Era Treasure Found In Israeli Cave 
 
 Included in the 2,300-year-old cache were two coins of Alexander of Macedon, three rings, four bracelets, two decorated earrings, three other earrings and a small stone weight. 
 
 A rare cache of jewelry and silver coins, minted during the reign of Alexander the Great, has been discovered in a stalactite filled cave in northern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Monday. 
 
 The 2,300-year-old treasure was found by three members of the Israeli Caving Club who wriggled through a narrow passage at the entrance of the stalactite cave and wandered inside for several hours. 
 
 Stashed inside a niche, one of the spelunkers, Hen Zakai, spotted two ancient silver coins. 
 
 PHOTOS: Coins, Jewelry From Alexander the Great Era 
 
 On one side of the coins was an image of Alexander the Great, while the other side portrayed an arm raised Zeus sitting on his throne. 
 
 The archaeologsts believe the coins had been minted in the late fourth century B.C. at beginning of the Hellenistic Period during the reign of Alexander the Great. 
 
 Alongside the coins, the spelunkers found the remains of a cloth pouch with three rings, four bracelets, two decorated earrings, three other earrings, probably made of silver, a small stone weight, and a clay oil lamp. 
 
 Dating from the Hellenistic period, the lamp contained some agate stones that were part of a string of beads. 
 
 Skeletons Shed Light on Ancient Earthquake in Israel 
 
 “The valuables might have been hidden in the cave by local residents who fled there during the period of governmental unrest stemming from the death of Alexander,” the IAA said in a statement. 
 
 At that time, the Wars of the Diadochi broke out in Israel between Alexander the Great’s successors who fought for the control of the king’s empire after his death in 323 B.C. 
 
 “Presumably the cache was hidden in the hope of better days, but today we know that whoever buried the treasure never returned to collect it,” the IAA said. 
 
 As archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority this week-end entered the cave, they discovered evidence of human habitation that occurred there over extended periods, from the Chalcolithic period 6,000 years ago to the Hellenistic period approximately 2,300 years ago. 
 
 Largest Trove of Gold Coins Found off Israel 
 
 Numerous pottery vessels were discovered in the cave and some even merged with the limestone sediments. 
 
 “The finds in the cave will allow the researchers –- archaeologists and geologists alike –- to accurately date both the archaeological finds and the process of stalactite development,” the IAA said. 
 
 The treasure trove, which promises to shed light on the lives of ordinary people in Israel during the late 4th century BC, follows another significant finding. Last month amateur scuba divers stumbled across a trove of nearly 2,000 gold coins that sat on the bottom of the Roman-era port of Caesareafor about 1,000 years. 
 
 “After the gold treasure from Caesarea, this is the second time in the past month that citizens have reported significant archeological finds and we welcome this important trend,” Amir Ganor, director of the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery in the Israel Antiquities Authority, said. 
 
 “Thanks to these citizens’ awareness, researchers at the Israel Antiquities Authority will be able to expand the existing archaeological knowledge about the development of society and culture in the Land of Israel in antiquity,” he added.
– Last month it was amateur scuba divers stumbling upon a treasure trove of submerged coins in Israel. Now three amateur spelunkers from the Israeli Caving Club have alerted authorities to a stash of ancient coins and jewels that appear to date back 2,300 years, to the time of Alexander the Great. What's more, the Israel Antiquities Authority says that archaeologists who further explored the hard-to-reach stalactite-filled cave over the weekend found "evidence of human habitation" dating back 6,000 years to the Chalcolithic period, reports Discovery. Some of the pottery vessels found in the cave had even merged with the limestone sediments. "Presumably the cache was hidden in the hope of better days, but today we know that whoever buried the treasure never returned to collect it," said an IAA statement, speculating that someone stashed it in the chaos following Alexander's death. Among the jewels, two silver coins allowed archaeologists to date the stash to the reign of Alexander the Great; on one side is a depiction of the man, while on the other Zeus is raising his arms on a throne. Silver jewelry—including rings, bracelets, and earrings—are part of the find, which researchers say was probably initially stashed in a cloth pouch, reports CNN. The intricate and well-preserved earrings are thought to be especially valuable. An IAA official applauded the cavers' "exemplary civic behavior." (Not all spelunkers in Israel have been quite so honest of late.)