Gilgal
The Name and Its Meaning
Gilgal means "circle" or "rolling," a name explained by a wordplay in Joshua 5:9, where God declared, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." The name likely also referred to a circle of memorial stones set up at the site. Gilgal was located east of Jericho in the Jordan Valley, and it served as Israel's base of operations during the conquest of Canaan. The site has been tentatively identified with Khirbet el-Mefjir, near a pool called Jiljulieh, about three miles east of ancient Jericho.
Israel's First Camp in the Promised Land
After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, Joshua led the people to encamp at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho (Joshua 4:19). Twelve stones taken from the riverbed were set up as a memorial so that future generations would remember how God had dried up the Jordan (Joshua 4:20-24). At Gilgal, the generation born in the wilderness was circumcised, restoring the covenant sign that had been neglected during the forty years of wandering (Joshua 5:2-8). The people then celebrated the Passover, and the manna that had sustained them ceased the day after they ate the produce of the land (Joshua 5:10-12). These events made Gilgal the place where Israel's identity as a covenant people was renewed on the threshold of their inheritance.
Gilgal During the Conquest and Settlement
Gilgal served as Israel's military headquarters throughout the conquest. The ark of God returned there daily during the siege of Jericho (Joshua 6:11). The Gibeonites came to Gilgal to make their treaty with Joshua (Joshua 9:6), and from there Joshua launched his campaign against the Amorite coalition (Joshua 10:6-7). After victories in the south and north, the Israelites returned to Gilgal before eventually transferring their center to Shiloh (Joshua 14:6; 18:1). The site remained an important gathering place well into the period of the judges and the early monarchy.
Gilgal in the Time of Samuel and Saul
Samuel made Gilgal one of three cities on his annual judicial circuit, along with Bethel and Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:16). The site took on heightened significance during the rise of the monarchy. Saul was publicly confirmed as king at Gilgal after his victory over the Ammonites at Jabesh-gilead (1 Samuel 11:14-15). However, Gilgal also became the place of Saul's downfall. When Samuel delayed his arrival, Saul impatiently offered the burnt offering himself, and Samuel declared that his kingdom would not endure (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Later, at Gilgal, Saul's disobedience regarding the Amalekites led to his final rejection as king, and Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord there (1 Samuel 15:12-33). David was also welcomed back at Gilgal after Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 19:15, 40).
Prophetic Condemnation of Gilgal
By the eighth century BC, Gilgal had become a center of corrupt worship. The prophets Hosea and Amos denounced it alongside Bethel as a place where Israel's idolatry and empty ritualism flourished. Hosea declared, "All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them" (Hosea 9:15). Amos sarcastically invited the people, "Come to Bethel and transgress; to Gilgal and multiply transgression" (Amos 4:4). He warned that "Gilgal shall surely go into exile" (Amos 5:5). The transformation of this sacred site from a place of covenant renewal to a center of false worship became a powerful symbol of Israel's spiritual decline.
The Legacy of Gilgal
Gilgal's story encapsulates the recurring biblical pattern of sacred spaces that begin as places of genuine encounter with God but become corrupted over time. The memorial stones that once testified to God's power were eventually overshadowed by altars to false gods. Yet the original events at Gilgal — the crossing, the circumcision, the Passover — remained powerful reminders that God's faithfulness endures even when his people prove unfaithful.
Biblical Context
Gilgal features prominently in Joshua 4-5 (the Jordan crossing and covenant renewal), Joshua 9-10 and 14 (the conquest), 1 Samuel 7:16 (Samuel's circuit), 1 Samuel 11:14-15 (Saul's coronation), 1 Samuel 13:8-14 and 15:12-33 (Saul's rejection), and 2 Samuel 19:15, 40 (David's return). The prophets Hosea (4:15; 9:15; 12:11) and Amos (4:4; 5:5) condemn it as a center of idolatry. Micah 6:5 references it in connection with God's saving acts.
Theological Significance
Gilgal teaches about the importance of remembrance and the danger of forgetting God's mighty acts. The memorial stones testified to divine power, the circumcision renewed covenant identity, and the Passover celebrated redemption. Yet Israel's eventual corruption of the site warns that sacred places and rituals can become empty forms when disconnected from genuine obedience. Gilgal demonstrates that proximity to God's past acts does not guarantee present faithfulness.
Historical Background
Archaeological exploration near Jericho has identified several possible sites for Gilgal. Excavations at Khirbet el-Mefjir and surveys of the area around Jiljulieh have revealed ancient remains, though definitive identification remains uncertain. The pool at Jiljulieh, measuring roughly 100 by 84 feet and surrounded by rough stone walls, was first linked to Gilgal by Claude Conder in 1874. Nearby mounds and Byzantine-era monastic ruins suggest the site was venerated for centuries. The Jordan Valley's low elevation and proximity to Jericho match the biblical description.